Ozark looks to establish city charter for self-governance

Don Currence: Charter change could allow mayor to vote on all measures.

Ozark is taking the first steps toward becoming a charter city, starting with voter consideration of 11 charter commission members on April 7.

The charter commission members would be approved if they receive at least one vote each, meaning the panel is anticipated to be fully approved. Thus, city officials are moving forward with preparations, starting with a meet-and-greet for the commission candidates and members of the public on Feb. 25.

Mayor Don Currence said Ozark is a fourth-class city that is governed by state statute. The population is just shy of 24,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau – roughly a 145% jump from the turn of the 21st century.

In short, it’s a city on the move, and Currence thinks it’s time for Ozark to attain more self-governance.

“We want what’s best for our people – more representation, more of a say in what we can do,” he said. “We’re limited in certain things that we can do because we have to follow the state statutes.”

State control
Currence said Ozark is limited in what it can do because it is governed by state statutes. Neighboring cities – Springfield, Nixa and Republic, to name three – are all charter cities with local control.

Ozark City Administrator Eric Johnson said there are things Ozark cannot do with a charter, such as raise sales taxes without a vote of the people. But Currence likes the idea of a charter change that would allow him to serve as a voting member of the city’s Board of Aldermen – something he can do now only in the event of a tie.

Speaking of Ozark’s form of government, Currence said that’s another example of something that could change, perhaps making Ozark a city council-run municipality. And Johnson is classified as a city administrator, but the charter could decide that he is more appropriately a city manager within a council-manager form of government. A city manager is an independent chief executive for the city, while a city administrator assists a strong mayor who has executive authority, according to the National League of Cities.

It’s all something that can be hashed out by the charter commission over a nine-month period that begins with the April election and would be followed by a ballot issuethe following April for Ozark residents to approve or deny the commission’s proposed charter document, Johnson said. At that point, in April 2027, residents may opt either for or against becoming a charter city.

The thing is, the commission might not opt for any of those changes. That body will have the power to draft the document, which will be presented to residents for an up-or-down vote, Johnson said.

Currence said he has wanted to make this change for a long time, but the city had to wait until the time was right. Now is a good time, he said.

“It really is about local control versus 100% state control,” he said. “It’s creating a government structure and a government opportunity to be responsive to community needs, as opposed to a one-size-fits-all approach, which is kind of the state of Missouri.”

Missouri statutes
Johnson came to Ozark from Blue Springs, which has a charter form of government and reviews it every five years. There, residents decided they wanted the mayor to vote on every measure, as Currence suggests, and so they changed the charter with a vote of the people.

He said in Blue Springs, the mayor was elected every four years, while council was elected every three years.

“Those are items that the city charter can establish and can change; otherwise, if you don’t have a charter, you’re bound by state statute, and the state statute requires that the mayor has a two-year term,” Johnson said.

Currence said with a two-year term, election planning starts almost immediately after the last balloting ends.

“It takes time,” he said, citing meetings, campaign signs, letters and appearances. He said he would like a term of at least three years.

Johnson noted that changes cannot be made to a city charter without a vote of the people.

“It’s the people who get to control their outcome,” he said.

Asked what type of governance document Ozark has now, Johnson said none.

“It’s state of Missouri statutes,” he said.

Currence said using Missouri statutes is good for smaller cities, but Ozark is growing.

“When you get to our size, we need to be a different model in how we operate,” he said. “We’re not like Sparta,” he added, choosing one example from many.

Johnson said over time the population changes and grows, and there is a desire to embrace local control.

“There is a desire to move away from state-controlled governance and regulation and to present and create that authority and power with the local community, where it resides closest to the people,” he said.

It’s a setup that is responsive to the uniqueness of a community.

“What works in Ozark, Missouri, may not necessarily work down the road,” he said.

Currence said the proposed commissioners are members of the community who decided to put their name on the ballot – an option that was open to anyone. Again, even a single vote will be sufficient to elect them to uncontested seats.

The names as they will appear on the ballot are Ernest Plus, M. Elise Crane, James Price, Franklin Lorenz, Mary Adams, Joanna Billingsley, Steve Krause, Jennifer Roland, Susan Collins, Heather Alder and Martha D. Swick.

Currence said the group includes retired people, teachers, working people and lawyers. Johnson added that two of them are especially strong writers.

Currence said the commission will be drafting for nine months, probably with two meetings per month, each lasting two hours at a minimum. There’s also homework, he said.

“It’s very involved, very detailed, very engaging, and it requires someone who has the time and the capacity to commit to it,” Johnson said.

Johnson said the commissioners can rely on nearby cities with experience in charter-led government, and the Missouri Municipal League offers samples and guidance.

“So we’re not starting from scratch,” he said.