City Charter Archives

The City of College Park is considering a transformative policy proposal: Charter Resolution 24-CR-02, commonly referred to as the Vote 16 Initiative. If passed, this measure would lower the voting age for municipal elections to 16, enabling younger residents to participate in shaping their community.

This proposal has sparked meaningful discussions about its potential benefits and challenges. Here’s a closer look:

Pros of the Vote 16 Initiative

1. Encourages Early Civic Engagement

• Introducing voting at 16 can instill a habit of participation early, potentially creating lifelong voters. Research suggests that individuals who begin voting at a younger age are more likely to remain active participants in the democratic process.

2. Reflects Youth Perspectives

• Young people bring fresh viewpoints on issues like education, public transportation, public spaces, and sustainability—topics that directly affect their daily lives and futures.

3. Strengthens Local Democracy

• Expanding the electorate to include 16- and 17-year-olds could lead to greater community representation and more inclusive decision-making processes.

4. Parental Influence

• At 16, many young people are still living at home, where discussions about local issues and elections could further enhance family engagement in civic life.

Cons of the Vote 16 Initiative

1. Questions of Maturity

• Critics argue that 16- and 17-year-olds may lack the life experience or maturity to make informed voting decisions, especially on complex local issues.

2. Limited Stakeholder Roles

• While young people are directly impacted by many policies, some argue that they may have less direct responsibility, such as paying property taxes, which could influence their understanding of certain issues.

3. Implementation Challenges

• Lowering the voting age would require adjustments to voter registration processes and outreach efforts, which may involve additional resources and coordination.

4. Low Youth Turnout Concerns

• Historically, younger age groups have shown lower voter turnout rates, raising concerns that adding 16- and 17-year-olds might not significantly impact election participation.

Key Dates

• Charter Resolution Introduction: The City Council introduced the Vote 16 Initiative on December 10, 2024.

• Public Hearing: A public hearing to discuss this resolution will take place on January 14, 2025.

This hearing will provide an opportunity for both supporters and opponents to express their views and engage in a productive dialogue about the proposal.

Join the Conversation

The Vote 16 Initiative represents an important moment for the community to discuss how we engage with democracy at the local level. Whether you support or oppose the proposal, your input is valuable in shaping College Park’s future. Stay updated by visiting College Park’s website and participating in upcoming discussions.

At last night’s Council meeting, the City Council approved an amendment to the City Charter. The amendment passed 5-2 (CM Mitchell and Kabir voted against)

There were about 30 residents who attended the hearing. About 12 residents spoke at the hearing. Several residents also wrote to us. I want to thank everyone who spoke at last night’s meeting and also wrote to us. I believe all spoke and wrote against the proposed change.

In summary, the Charter amendment 18-CR-02 has two purposes (1) add the term ‘legislative body’ and (2) make the Mayor part of the legislative body. In order to accomplish these two goals, the amendment makes a number of changes to the current charter. The status quo surrounding mayor voting power did not change.

The State law has the term “legislative body”, but our charter does not have, and hence it’s suggested that we add that term to our Charter. However, the contention was whether we should have added Mayor as part of the legislative body.

Personally, I was fine with adding the term “legislative body” to the Charter, however, I wasn’t convinced that the mayor should be part of it.

There are two places in the State law where the term “legislative body” is used. They are in article $4-304 and $5-205(b). Article $4-304 deals with members of legislative body voting in charter amendment votes and $5-205(B) is about legislative body voting on moving budget money. Traditionally, College Park Mayor never voted in these cases in the past. Thus it’s not true to say that, especially in light of these two state laws, Mayor has been traditionally part of the legislative body.

Also, after last year’s non-citizen voting, the City Council engaged an outside attorney last year to review our charter. The attorney later sent a legal memo to the City Council about her view about our Charter. After that, on October 18, 2017, the City released a statement saying that “the legislative body of the City of College Park consists of 8 Council members”. To me, it indicates that the Mayor is not part of the legislative body. Unfortunately, it’s not possible to confirm this in public without having residents to see that legal memo.

I find it very frustrating that we are not letting the public see this legal memo, and thus have a comprehensive debate on this subject. The City spent $20,000 of our taxpayers’ money on the outside attorney to get her opinion. There is a cloud hanging over the city right now about this outside attorney’s memo, and everyone is saying what is in it? If we think that we’re not releasing the memo because this will confuse people and they will not understand the memo’s language, then this is really an insult to the intelligence of our residents. Because I truly believe they are smarter than many of us may think.

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Category: City Charter

Exploring the Vote 16 Initiative in College Park

Council Adds ‘Legislative Body’ to City Charter, with Mayor Part of it