[Vision2020] Changes that look intereting

[Donovan Arnold]

Phil,

We live in a university town, so we cannot have
districts drawn by population. If we did, one quarter
of the seats would be chosen by the 29 students that
live on campus and vote, while the other 4075 voters
decided the other seats.

If all the students voted, I would not be opposed to
giving them a fair portion of the seats, but since
they do not vote, what really is the point?

One candidate would need 15 votes to win in the
University district, while one representing the older
inner Moscow would need at least 1500 votes.

I disagree with your take on the state statue, the
vacancy is a special provisional election, not part of
the general election, which is limited by law to 1/2
the seats on the council. There is no such thing as a
2 year term in Idaho state law except for when
changing the number of city council seats. Even if you
accept your take on the law, it is clear that an
appointment ends at the next general election, not in
January. 

Take Care,

-DJA



--- Phil Nisbet <pcnisbet1 at hotmail.com> wrote:

> But as long as we are on the issue of City
> Elections, why exactly do we not 
> add in the element of Districting in City Elections.
>  People have been 
> complaining about participation, but one of the
> lelments of that are a lack 
> of sense that there is anybody who actually lives in
> the area of the sity 
> you may be from representing you on the council.
> 
> TITLE  50
>                             MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS
>                                   CHAPTER 7
>                                    COUNCIL
>     50-707A.  ELECTION OF COUNCILMEN BY DISTRICTS.
> (1) Any city may, by
> ordinance, provide for districts and the election of
> councilmen by 
> districts.
> Upon the adoption of such an ordinance and at least
> one hundred twenty (120)
> days prior to each general election, the governing
> body of the city shall
> establish the territory of council districts in
> accordance with this 
> section.
>     (2)  Each district shall consist of one or more
> contiguous election
> precincts and each district shall, to the nearest
> extent possible, contain 
> the
> same number of people based upon the most recent
> federal census.
>     (3)  Each city providing for the election of
> councilmen by districts 
> shall
> establish the number of districts corresponding to
> the number of council 
> seats
> determined by the city pursuant to section 50-701,
> Idaho Code, or for any 
> city
> having a governing body governed by the provisions
> of sections 50-801 
> through
> 50-812, Idaho Code, the number of council seats
> determined by the city
> pursuant to section 50-805, Idaho Code.
>     (4)  Upon adoption of such an ordinance, a
> council shall determine, not
> less than ninety (90) days before the next general
> city election, if council
> members are to be elected by electors from the
> entire city, or by the 
> electors
> of the said geographic district. The council shall
> also determine, not less
> than ninety (90) days before the next general
> election, the method of the
> implementation of this ordinance.
> 
> 
> ____________________________________
> 
> In esence, we could break the city up and elect the
> council on the basis of 
> neighborhoods, so that people had a more
> representative government.  Moscow 
> has grown to the point that doing what other large
> cities in Idaho do.  We 
> are no longer a tiny town like Potlatch where
> everybody lives within 
> spitting distance of everybody else and everybody
> has the exact same 
> problems.  You can note that in some of the
> complaints about things like the 
> Third Street bridge or about recent development near
> the East Palouse Mall.  
> We have distinctive areas and neighborhoods with
> very seperate problems.  
> Having people from all places in the city might be a
> nice idea to increase 
> participation in the process and also to get a wider
> view from what is 
> becoming a more diverse town.
> 
> Phil Nisbet
> 
>
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