Omaha City Council approves charter amendments

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Omaha City Council approves charter amendments for November election

There were a lot of proposed changes given to the Omaha City Council. The charter convention came up with 24 potential changes to the City Charter and that got narrowed down to 10 that the city council could prioritize. Some of those were more controversial than others. One, in particular, was an amendment that was initially pulled but then reintroduced at the last minute. It gives the mayor more leeway in taking absences.

The policy now is the mayor transfers power to the city council president when she leaves town, but the new amendment would give her almost a week before she has to turn her powers over to the council. "The first part changed the provision for when the city council president acts as acting mayor. From what existed in the past, which is if the mayor leaves the city limits, to now providing if the mayor is absent for a period of more than five business days. So any stay shorter than five business days or shorter the city council president does not act as mayor," said Bernard in den Bosch, deputy city attorney for the City of Omaha.

That amendment barely made it past the council on a four to three vote. The other controversial amendment is one that won't be making its way to the voters.