A public hearing was held Monday night in Hudson on a petition to revise the city charter.
In March, the group Hudson Charter Change filed a petition with the city clerk to amend the city charter. 240 residents signed the document detailing proposed changes, including establishing a city manager-led government. The filing gives the Common Council 60 days to act.
Monday night the council heard public comment.
Robert Rasner told the gathering the charter change group "is entirely outside government."
"We set out to remedy a specific perceived shortcoming," said Rasner. "Our work is based on the observation that no mayor, Democrat or Republican, male or female, white or Black, over the last 20 years, has had the skill, education or expertise to articulate or implement a plan to improve management of many of the city's basic needs. This group of well-meaning officeholders simply have not had the benefit of specialized education and experience needed to manage a modern day city."
Rasner, former director of the non-profit Hudson Development Corporation, insisted the change isn't about "people or personalities."
"I think they're targeting me," said third-term Mayor Kamal Johnson. The Democrat characterizes the citizens' initiative as "play for power by a small group of people."
"The charter absolutely needs to be updated, but not in the manner that this citizens’ initiative is doing it," Johnson said. "I think it kills the election process. It also hurts democracy overall in the city of Hudson. Their plan would basically make the mayor position ceremonial and cut the council in half, down to five members."
Johnson contends the future of the city is at stake. Fifth ward resident Adolfo Lopez agrees.
"This proposal aims to replace the elected voice of the people with an unelected, unaccountable city manager. You know, it's not just a simple administrative adjustment. It is a direct threat to the very essence of democratic governance in the city of Hudson. The mayoral system is rooted in the most fundamental democratic principle, accountability to the people when we elect a mayor. We are not merely selecting a figurehead. We are entrusting an individual with the responsibility of our city's future. By moving to a city manager system, we reduce the most powerful tool we have as residents, which is our vote," said Lopez.
Another ward resident, Krystal Heinz, says the city manager system could boost Hudson’s quality of life.
“I think we all want to make Hudson a better place, and I think the time is now to make that change, to bring in the 21st century management, to bring the city along forward with it, so we can timely get grants, we can timely do things that we need to do here as a city and for all of our residents, not just those residents that like to be here, that want to live here. I feel as though that the vision for the city has become very myopically focused on housing, and while that's important, there's a whole bunch of other stuff that needs to be tended to in the city as well,” Heinz said.
Meeting participants also expressed interest in costs involved in updating the charter. On its website, Hudson Charter Change says "an 11-member Common Council and Office of the Mayor costs approximately $400,000, about the same as estimated for an Office of a City Manager, a Mayor, and a five-member Common Council."
Johnson, who is running for a fourth term this year, says if, during next Monday's council meeting, three councilors support putting charter change on the agenda for a vote, the panel could vote on the matter as early as April 15th.
