Changing City Attorney from elected to appointed position
Summary
The city is considering asking voters to make the city attorney an appointed job instead of an elected one. Draper says qualified candidates are scarce and he won't run again in 2028; critics say voters already settled this in a 2007 referendum and worry an appointed attorney would answer to the council instead of residents. A decision would need to reach the county clerk by late January to make the April ballot.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 7
- Last 30 days
- 5
Rising — discussed at 4 meetings since Sep 9, 2026, up from 0 in the two months before.
Impact analysis
Cost of an elected versus appointed attorney is unknown — alders said a cost comparison is needed before any referendum.
If adopted, the council could hire a specialized firm and gain flexibility in legal services.
Residents would lose the right to elect their city attorney, and Draper's own memo warns an appointed attorney could be less independent.
Mentions & discussions (5)
Common Council - Oct 26, 2026
Voters may see a referendum question on whether the City Attorney should be appointed instead of elected. The council chose to have the council itself make the appointment rather than the mayor, with a 60-day protest petition window now running.
Common Council - Oct 12, 2026
The council unanimously moved toward making the city attorney an appointed job instead of an elected one. Voters could still force a referendum by petition; adoption readings come back October 26.
Committee of the Whole - Oct 5, 2026
The city is considering asking voters to make the city attorney an appointed job instead of an elected one. Draper says qualified candidates are scarce and he won't run again in 2028; critics say voters already settled this in a 2007 referendum and worry an appointed attorney would answer to the council instead of residents. A decision would need to reach the county clerk by late January to make the April ballot.
Committee of the Whole - Sep 9, 2026
The council wants to revisit making the city attorney an appointed rather than elected position, which requires a spring election referendum. The question deadline is late January, so the topic returns in October.
Committee of the Whole - Jan 5, 2026
The Council is exploring a charter ordinance and referendum that would make the City Attorney an appointed job instead of an elected one. Questions on the table include whether a firm could be appointed, how vacancies would be filled, and residency requirements. No decision yet — expect this to come back for action.
We'll email you when it's on an upcoming agenda and when it's voted on, at most once a day.
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