Consider first this simple "Port Authority" charter amendment we in Ramsey, as voters, can force to an election and pass:
The City shall not collect any tax or fee for a Port Authority, nor spend any city money for a Port Autority, nor issue any bonds or incur any other indebtedness in order to support Port Authority operations or capital improvement activity. The City shall not circumvent this provision by creating a port authority, in fact, and naming it something else to deflect attention.
To protect people against potential poisoning if housing gets built on contaminated land, and to give notice that pollutant monitoring may be advisible as with state programs on lead exposure, another two sentence separate amenement might also be voted on. Remember, lead poisoning is a concern to Minnesotans, as shown here, here, with many links here, and for medical pesonnel, here, and this mirrors a concern nationally, as shown for example, here and here. As these references show, childhood exposure is a great concern, and housing on polluted land poses a greater threat than work place exposure. Here is simple, protective, zero cost language, that could be put into effect as a charter amemdment:
As a matter of notice and public health protection the City shall require the recording of a notice to any purchaser of a home built on once contaminated land where the Minnesota Pollution Control Authority had required or supervised a clean-up effort. Relators shall be required to provide potential purchasers of any such home a copy of such notice at least seven calendar days before a closing; a potential purchaser may rescind the sale within such time period; and any provider of a purchase money mortgage shall be given such a notice on such a time frame and may in that time period reverse a loan committment.
Here is a charter provision that would finally and forceably forestall another worry of homeowners in many parts of Ramsey:
The City shall never force a homeowner to connect to municipal sewer and water unless: the City pays all hook-up fees or costs; the homeowner petitions to subdivide the property; the homeowner refuses to repair or upgrade a defective existing private sewage disposal system to meet generally prevailing standards for such systems within the state; or the homeowner refuses to repair or upgrade a defective existing well to statewide standards. In all instances a homeowner's pirvate well or sewage disposal system shall be presumed defect free with the burden of proof upon authorities to prove otherwise.
When it comes to the quality of what the City would pipe into our homes for us to drink and bathe in, there is concern, met by the two following related charter proposals which can each be separately proposed by citizen petition:
The City shall meet its urban water needs via deep wells into ground water aquifers of known quality and suitability. The City shall not in any instance withdraw river water and pipe it, treated or untreated, into our household water supply network nor pipe it directly or indirectly into our homes.
The City shall not spend in aggregate more than three million dollars for municipally supplied water treatment purposes. To raise this limit in the absence of a compelling order from State health authorities to upgrade water treatment for public health reasons, the City must hold a prior referendum for voter approval of any increase beyond the three million dollar limit imposed by charter.
Finally, here is perhaps the ultimate most important general potential separate charter amendment all Ramsey citizens should consider, to protect our interests against an overreaching city government:
Any increase in the City's debt limit shall require preapproval via referendum.
Taxpayers can protect themselves.
And the charter amendment process allows us to enact our protections and keep them in our hands, not surrendered to be overcome by any later preemptive acts of bureaucrats.
Because Ramsey is a charter city, self-protection via charter works best. A future council vote cannot disenfranchise a charter right. A public vote of citizens is needed to undo any rights we create for ourselves by charter.
Remember, a home rule charter city has undeniable jurisdiction over its taxing and spending.
Bottom line: If we choose, we can protect ourselves against any potential taxing, spending, or borrowing we, collectively, deem in advance to be unwise. We simply need to vote by referendum to impose reasonable restraints upon our council and city administration. The charter controls.