The so called “Good Government” charter amendment that will be voted on in May is bad policy for the City of Lincoln. The amendment creates an economic environment which is antagonistic toward business; it limits participation in government, and places additional financial burdens on the City at this time when Lincoln’s citizens can least afford it. The promoters of the amendment say the amendment will keep elected officials from doing business with the city. Here is what the amendment really does:

Unfairly Attacks Businesses And Job Providers
This Charter amendment casts the businesses that employ Lincoln Citizens as greedy, self-interested, and unscrupulous. In recent years the City of Lincoln has dedicated tens of millions of dollars to tax incentives intended to attract new businesses and jobs to Lincoln. This amendment treats those very same people, the business people Lincoln worked so hard to attract, as untrustworthy and restricts their ability to participate in the bodies that govern them.

Limits Participation in Government
This amendment prohibits anyone from running for office that has a 5% or $5,000 interest in any business that contracts with the city of Lincoln.

In his press conference the mayor claimed that this amendment would affect only 400 local businesses. LIBA tried to confirm this but was unable to get the necessary information from the City. We were told there was no complete list of all companies that do business with the city.

Instead, LIBA called several local businesses to see how many people in their business would be unable to run for office due to this amendment.

HBE is local accounting firm that has contracted with the city recently. The firm has seven employee owners who hold a greater than 5% interest in the ownership of the firm. All seven would be prohibited from running for office.

A local law firm, has twenty-six partners each of whom holds a legal interest in the law firm which exceeds $5,000. All 26 people would be prevented from running for office under this amendment.

Telesis Inc. is a local company you may be familiar with if you have ever eaten at Lazlo’s. However, you may not know this company also owns Data Security Inc. Data Security Inc. is an electronic data security company that currently contracts with the CIA. Though they do not currently contract with the city of Lincoln there is potential that in the coming years Lincoln may need their security services. In that situation either the company’s eight owner/employees would be unable to hold office or the city of Lincoln would be prevented from contracting with a respected security company. If they are good enough for the CIA, shouldn’t they be good enough to be a part-time City Councilman?

These three (3) businesses alone have more than 41 owners who could be prohibited from holding office under this amendment. Further investigation is sure to find thousands of people this charter amendment would prohibit from participation in local government. Lincoln cannot employ such draconian measures to disenfranchise its citizen’s and tie the hands of the electorate.

Financial Burden
The amendment not only limits private citizens it also limits the city. There may be situations where the lowest bidder is a business in which a council member has a significant financial interest. In these situations Lincoln would be forced to seek products or services at a higher price from a company outside Lincoln’s boarders that does not pay any taxes into Lincoln’s coffers.

Discriminatory Effect
The proposed charter amendment does not apply equally across all sectors. Business owners in the private sector are prohibited from contracting with the city while, under this amendment, city employees remain free to contract at will. I would suggest that the Mayors staff would have more “inside information” than a part-time city councilman.

LIBA studies and promotes these types of issues that are important to businesses and our community. If you have an interest in joining LIBA, please call me at 466-3419. LIBA membership is not restricted to just businesses.  We also have “individual” memberships for those who want to help influence our local government decisions.