Surreptitious Changes in the City Charter hinder City moving forward in the post Cravens City Manager era

surreptitious

adjective

1.

obtained, done, made, etc., by stealth; secret or 
unauthorized; clandestine.

I don't remember approving any  recent Charter changes do you





 ? The reason I am asking is because  you and I and thirty five hundred other Citizens of The City  Bloomfield Hills share a unique bond. Only we get to vote for City Commissioners all changes in the City Charter have to be approved by us.

Who says ? The State of Michigan and we are done with the yea or nay portion via  a ballot  it goes all the way to the Governor of Michigan for his approval.

You say you never heard of no Charter ? Most people 
 have not, THOUGgave at the office or are busy that day
 or whatever.

The Charter the most important document in the City gets no respect.

The Charter is legal contract between the People of the City of Bloomfield Hills  and the  State of Michigan, the acceptance of  which by the State of Michigan in 1932 created The City of Bloomfield Hills.That  prevented us  from being swallowed up by Birmingham whose  Charter dates from 1933. I guess when we jilted them they decided to go it alone.

Our charter  is an important part of our City's balance of power. The Charter gives  the elected five member  of the City Commision all powers except the ability to elect themselves or to change the Charter without  citizen approval at the ballot box.

The Charter is and for that matter City Ordinances are written in  straight forward English.

The  City Charter and City ordinances are  very distant cousins who do different things. The Charter defines how you are governed and what your rights are under that government. Charters rarely change and before thy can change require a vote of the people.

Ordinances are  rules you must abide by as  a city resident You can not as a resident of Bloomfield Hills   exceed decibel limits, use your front lawn as an auto grave yard, or raise farm animals. There are penalties for failure to comply.  To enact or  repeal an ordinance all that is required a 3 to 2 vote of commissioners in the City of Bloomfield Hills.

City Commission determines ordinances.

City  Citizens  and the State of Michigan determine the charter.

Last November, City Commission in order provide  residents with easier access to the City Charter and the City Ordinances invested in a web site. What came with the  City  Charter were  the most extensive changes in the  City's 84 year history,  and no one in authority seemed to know how they  got there.  (To 





be continued below).