Governor says he’ll back government consolidation bill if citizens have a say

The list of items to be considered in the “special” legislative session scheduled for late this month may include a bill that would make it easier for cities and counties to consolidate. Governor Tom Vilsack has one key demand. Vilsack says he believes very strongly that citizens should be allowed to have a say in the decision of how their municipal officials are to be elected. Vilsack says an appointed board ought not be allowed to make that decision on its own. He supports some sort of ratification vote on government structural changes. Vilsack says citizens should be able to decide whether they want partisan or non-partisan elections for their local officials, and he says the issue is something he believes could be “easily resolved” in a special session. Republican legislative leaders and Governor Vilsack have scheduled three, face-to-face meetings this month to try to hammer out deals on tax reform and a new state economic development initiative that are to be the centerpieces of a special session that’ll start May 29th.