When the Battle Creek City Commission meets Tuesday night, they will be hearing the long awaited recommendations of a committee designed to review how the city’s government works.

In early January, the Commission created the Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee, and staffed it with 18 members, two each chosen by each commissioner. After spending several months reviewing Battle Creek’s City Charter, the BRAC has voted on a few recommendations. The most significant of these is the recommendation that Battle Creek elect the Mayor and Vice Mayor via a popular vote, as opposed to the current system where the City Commission chooses the mayor themselves.

They also say the city should change the ratio of city commissioners from 5 ward commissioners and 4 at-large commissioners, to 7 ward and 2 at-large, with those two commissioners serving as Mayor and Vice-Mayor. However, the BRAC says that the commission terms should remain at 2 years, and that commissioners shouldn’t see term limits.

When these recommendations are made to the City Commission, they aren’t binding; the BRAC says they will meet again for further discussion once they receive more input.

The full recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Advisory Committee can be found by going to the City Commission's Agenda here. 

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