DEARBORN — In September the Charter Commission completed its initial inquisitory review of the Charter and identified topics to revisit in a second round of the Commission’s review of the City Charter.

Dearborn residents are invited to weigh in on these topics by completing a Community Survey and attending upcoming study sessions.

Community survey

The Community Survey is available online to all Dearborn residents. The survey will help the commission take the pulse of the community and gauge how Dearborn’s residents are thinking about identified Charter topics, including:

• Political Wards (Council districts)
• Qualifications of elected officials
• Term limits
• Disclosure of financial interests by candidates and elected officials
• Limitations on taxation

Take the survey online at: surveymonkey.com/r/DearbornCharterSurvey

Study sessions

To fully explore detailed and complex topics, the Charter Commission has scheduled three study sessions for 2022. Each study session will focus on a single topic and will be open for the public to attend at the Dearborn Administrative Center starting at 6 p.m. These dates are:

• December 4 – Board of Ethics
• December 13 – Civil Service Commission

Background and next steps

The City Charter acts as the constitution for the city, outlines the powers and responsibilities of Dearborn’s government and provides guidelines for democratic processes. To ensure this vital document remains current, every 12 years Dearborn voters have the opportunity to initiate a Charter Review Process. In August 2021, Dearborn residents voted to begin this process, and in November 2021 nine Dearborn residents were elected to serve on the City Charter Commission.

The community survey and the study sessions are a part of the Commission’s commitment to transparent, two-way communication with the community. The results of these outreach efforts will help guide the Commission’s work in creating an outstanding City Charter.