The state granted Rochester its first charter in 1834. Over the next 150 years, Rochesterians regularly debated and updated the document, occasionally voting on charter referendums at the polls.
When voters approved moving from a city manager to a strong mayor system in 1984, the robust discussion about our charter that had taken place throughout Rochester history essentially stopped.
Thirty-six years later, it’s time to revisit the city charter.
This paper examines the historical debate about the city charter and compares the city’s governmental design to other cities. I will also discuss problems with the current structure.
I conclude that when it comes to representation and oversight, Rochester’s government is an outlier among cities in New York State. We can fix the imbalance by eliminating at-large seats in favor of district seats and electing a comptroller.