IONIA, Mich — Voters in the City of Ionia will decide on two proposed amendments to the City Charter in November.
The city says that the two amendments on the ballot are designed to modernize the structure of the government and elections.
“Voters have the opportunity to help Ionia modernize the city’s structure to better align with communities our size across Michigan,” said City Manager Precia Garland. “Michigan has changed since our city charter was established in 1993, and it’s time to address issues that have arisen because of those changes."
The first charter amendment would make the city clerk a full-time appointed official instead of its current designation as a part-time elected official.
The city says that moving the city clerk to a full-time appointed position is needed after the responsibilities of the role have expanded over the years. In 2018 and 2022, Michiganders voted to expand absentee and early voting, which has increased the workload of the city clerk.
Garland says that the position has traditionally been held by retirees who worked part-time, but the growing responsibilities will need a full-time employee.
“If approved by voters, this change will create greater continuity between elections and increase the capacity of our staff,” Garland said. “It will benefit the public, too, who will have increased accessibility to the clerk for election-related questions and voter registration."
If passed, the first charter amendment will go into effect either when the current clerk’s term ends in 2026 or if they vacate the office earlier.
The second charter amendment would change elected city offices to nonpartisan positions and races. Currently, the city has partisan elections for city offices, following the 1993 Ionia Charter which detailed a process for local political parties to host a city convention and nominate candidates.
"Most communities the size of Ionia do not have partisan elections. Removing this requirement would make the process of running for office easier, allowing us to encourage greater community involvement," said Garland.
Garland says that the current process is "cumbersome and time-consuming" and is unnecessary for the City of Ionia.
“If approved by voters, this change would simplify local elections and create opportunity for more residents to get involved,” Garland said. “This has the potential to open the position to more people and expand access to city leadership roles. Additionally, it would save time for the clerk’s office and reduce the burden on local political parties.”
If passed, the second charter amendment will go into effect beginning with the November 2026 ballot.
“Residents can read more about the proposed changes on our website,” Garland said. “We encourage those with questions to call or stop by city hall. And we encourage all residents to cast a ballot on Nov. 7 and let their voices be heard.”
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