MONROE - The City of Monroe will likely see a reduction in the number of wards, from 10 to nine, but most likely will retain 10 aldermen on the common council.
The biggest change still on the table, however, is making all aldermen at-large representatives.
The city's Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to match the new ward boundaries to the county's supervisory district boundaries, which were revised to accommodate 2010 census data. The plan must still be approved by the common council.
Committee members agreed to keep 10 aldermen on the council, retaining two-year terms - with election of half the council members each year and at-large voting. The at-large designation will allow all voters to cast ballots for any candidate running for the five open positions on the council.
At Wednesday's meeting, committee member Tyler Schultz recommended the at-large system, saying it would help the city "dodge the bullet" of reorganizing, should a future census prompt another redistricting.
Alderman Michael Boyce said at-large elections would create a "a larger pool (of candidates) to draw from" and make the process of running for a council seat easier.
Chairman Charles Koch also noted that the city must consider racial and ethnic diversity when redrawing boundaries, but that the city has no concentrated areas of racial or ethnic minorities.
"Businesses and industry are also spread out throughout the city," he added.
The committee's vote charged City Attorney Rex Ewald with drafting a charter ordinance for a council of 10 at-large members. The proposed ordinance will be reviewed and amended as needed at the next Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee meeting. A future meeting date was not set, pending the completion of all the required information.
Once the proposed charter ordinance is reviewed and approved by the committee, it will be sent to Common Council for a public hearing date and vote.
According to Ewald, a charter ordinance requires a 60-day waiting period after public notification, for objections to be filed. The change to the charter requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
According to information distributed by City Clerk Carol Stamm, current aldermen would continue to represent their wards and the people who elected them, until their terms are up or they resign.
Ending their current terms in 2012 are Neal Hunter, Michael Boyce, Charles Koch, Thurston Hanson, and Chris Beer.
A aldermen whose term expires in 2013 could run for an at-large seat in 2012 and still retain the current ward seat, but if elected at-large, would need to resign from the ward position.
In that scenario, a vacancy would be created, which would need to be filled by appointment of the council.
The biggest change still on the table, however, is making all aldermen at-large representatives.
The city's Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to match the new ward boundaries to the county's supervisory district boundaries, which were revised to accommodate 2010 census data. The plan must still be approved by the common council.
Committee members agreed to keep 10 aldermen on the council, retaining two-year terms - with election of half the council members each year and at-large voting. The at-large designation will allow all voters to cast ballots for any candidate running for the five open positions on the council.
At Wednesday's meeting, committee member Tyler Schultz recommended the at-large system, saying it would help the city "dodge the bullet" of reorganizing, should a future census prompt another redistricting.
Alderman Michael Boyce said at-large elections would create a "a larger pool (of candidates) to draw from" and make the process of running for a council seat easier.
Chairman Charles Koch also noted that the city must consider racial and ethnic diversity when redrawing boundaries, but that the city has no concentrated areas of racial or ethnic minorities.
"Businesses and industry are also spread out throughout the city," he added.
The committee's vote charged City Attorney Rex Ewald with drafting a charter ordinance for a council of 10 at-large members. The proposed ordinance will be reviewed and amended as needed at the next Judiciary and Ordinance Review Committee meeting. A future meeting date was not set, pending the completion of all the required information.
Once the proposed charter ordinance is reviewed and approved by the committee, it will be sent to Common Council for a public hearing date and vote.
According to Ewald, a charter ordinance requires a 60-day waiting period after public notification, for objections to be filed. The change to the charter requires a two-thirds majority vote to pass.
According to information distributed by City Clerk Carol Stamm, current aldermen would continue to represent their wards and the people who elected them, until their terms are up or they resign.
Ending their current terms in 2012 are Neal Hunter, Michael Boyce, Charles Koch, Thurston Hanson, and Chris Beer.
A aldermen whose term expires in 2013 could run for an at-large seat in 2012 and still retain the current ward seat, but if elected at-large, would need to resign from the ward position.
In that scenario, a vacancy would be created, which would need to be filled by appointment of the council.