
Blue and Red Campaign Yard Signs - 8
Those that oppose reducing IOP City Council size from 9 members to 7 cite the reason as “it’s always been this way,” or “if it’s not broken,don’t fix it.” If anyone has watched a council meeting lately, you will see that there is a vast room for improvement.
Various board sizes have been studied and 5 and 7 are generally best for overall effectiveness, and given our relative small population size, 7 (dare I even say 5) representatives makes sense. Two of the largest cities in the US (San Diego and Phoenix), with about 1.5 million residents, have 9 council members. “more representation with 9” is a weak argument, as the ratio of residents to each council person is only slightly affected due to our small size. The most frequent answer given as to why 9 is better is, “It’s been that way since incorporation.” Fear of change is not a good reason for me. “Big government is better government?” I personallydon’t think so. This referendum is not about “who” is in the council seat, it’s about the “number” of seats. If youdon’t like the folks in office, that is what elections are for. We are an outlier in terms of council size, and those thatdo have more than 7 council members are cities and towns that have significant and complex infrastructure like Charleston and Mt. Pleasant, with colleges, hospitals, and a vibrant coastal Port, to name a few. Seven council members that are committed, engaged, and informed is more than enough.
The faces of our City Council members will change every couple of years, but this chance to reform our city governance is rare. Indeed, all our votes matter here, and thankfully we have the opportunity to voice them with this referendum. YES for 7.