News from the Omaha World Herald:
LINCOLN - Elkhorn residents would get a bigger voice in Omaha city government under a bill advanced Tuesday to the full Legislature.
Legislative Bill 405 would add two members to the City Council, increasing the total to nine, and require that district boundaries be redrawn. The new members would be appointed until their successors could be elected in May 2009.
Here’s the text of LB 405, if you are interested. The council members would be appointed by a majority vote of the city council.
It’s worth noting that Jim Suttle first proposed this idea, and testified at the hearing in favor of Sen. Pedersen’s bill. We had a great discussion about this when the idea first came up (link below), and now that it’s moving closer to reality, I’m wondering what everyone thinks of it.
Related Posts:
Welcome To Omaha… Elkhorn (1/12/2007)
Additional City Council District (10/26/2005)
Well, at first this didnt’ seem like a great idea. I wasn’t sure on how this could work. But, having some time to see how it would play out, it all makes sense.
Of course it is no surprise that Jim Suttle is the brains behind this. Every time I watch the city council meetings, it is obviously he is the smartest person we have in Omaha government.
I still get a kick out of Jim Vokal’s announcement for Mayor of Omaha the night he was sworn into the city council. If I was Vokal, I would hate for a guy like Suttle to be sitting next to me. I would feel like such a dummy.
Looks like Suttle’s idea will pass in the legislature. Let’s hear it for 9 Omaha Councilpeople!!!