DETROIT CITY COUNCIL - S.B. 726 (S-3): FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 726 (Substitute S-3 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)
Sponsor: Senator Burton Leland
Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Home Rule City Act to require a city with a population of at least 750,000 as determined by the most recent Federal decennial census and a city council composed of nine at-large council members, to place on the ballot a question of abolishing the existing nine-member at-large city council, reapportioning the city into nine single-member election districts, and imposing residency requirements on candidates for the city council. The question would have to be placed on the ballot at the general primary election held on the Tuesday after the first Monday in August 2000, and every four years thereafter.
If the question were approved, the existing at-large city council would have to be abolished on the January 1 two years after the ballot approval.
Within 30 days after the ballot approval, the city redistricting commission would have to meet as the apportionment commission and adopt an apportionment plan. The commission would consist of the mayor, city clerk, and president of the city council. The commission would have to meet, again, within 30 days after the publication of the latest official figures of the Federal decennial census to reapportion the city.
The city redistricting commission would have to provide for equal representation for each single-member election district. Each district would have to be as nearly equal in population as was practicable based on the latest official Federal decennial census figures. In developing an apportionment plan, the redistricting commission would have to follow the lines used for planning sectors and subcommittees as provided by the city master plan and charter. In subsequent reapportionments, the apportionment plan could make only incremental changes to the single-member election district boundaries that were necessary to accommodate population change requirements.
Each candidate for city council would have to be a resident of the single-member election district he or she sought to represent. If the member moved his or her residence outside of the single-member election district that the member represented, the office would have to be vacated.
Proposed MCL 117.3a - Legislative Analyst: N. Nagata
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 10-20-99 - Fiscal Analyst: R. Ross
floor\sb726 (S-3) - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.