Charter Committee facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Charter Committee
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Leader | Darrick Dansby |
| Founded | June 6, 1924 |
| Headquarters | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Ideology | Progressivism |
| Website | |
| chartercommittee.org | |
The Charter Committee is an independent political group in Cincinnati, Ohio. It works to make sure the city government is fair and works well for everyone. People who are part of this committee are called Charterites. The group prefers to be called the "Charter Committee" instead of a "party." This is because of Ohio laws about how many votes a group needs to be officially recognized as a political party.
Contents
History of the Charter Committee
The Charter Committee says it is the oldest "third party" in the United States that has continuously elected people to public office. It started in 1924. At that time, the government in Cincinnati was controlled by the Republican Party. Cincinnati was known for having a very corrupt government. This was during an era controlled by a political boss named Rudolph Hynicka.
How the Committee Started
Some Republican reformers wanted to fix the government. They formed a group called the Cincinnatus Association. In 1923, a lawyer named Murray Seasongood led a successful campaign against high taxes.
The Cincinnatus Association then helped create the Birdless Ballot League. This group wanted elections where people voted for individuals, not just for a political party. The name "birdless" came from the fact that the Republican eagle and Democratic rooster were used as party symbols on ballots. In 1924, the Birdless Ballot League joined with other reformers to create the City Charter Committee.
Before 1925, the city council had 32 members. Most of them were Republicans. The real power was held by a group of Republican leaders.
Changes to Cincinnati Government
In 1925, the Charter Committee helped create a new way of governing Cincinnati. This new system was called a Council-Manager government. It replaced the old system where a mayor had most of the power. This new system also created a civil service system. This meant that people got government jobs based on their skills, not because of political favors.
The new plan also created a smaller city council with nine members. It made sure that city elections were nonpartisan. This meant candidates did not run as Republicans or Democrats. It also used a system called proportional representation. This helped make sure that different groups of voters had a fair chance to elect someone.
In the first election after these changes, six Charterites were elected to the council. Even though a Democrat named Ed Dixon got more votes, Murray Seasongood became the first mayor under the new system.
Alliances and Challenges
Even though the Charter Committee started with Republican reformers, it soon worked closely with the Democratic Party. They often teamed up against the Republican Party. By the 1950s, Republicans tried to label the Charterites with the term "socialism" to make them seem bad. In 1957, the system of proportional representation was changed. Many believe this was done to stop Theodore M. Berry from becoming the city's first black mayor.
In 1959, the Democrats separated from the Charter Committee. This split the votes of people who wanted progressive changes. The Charterites struggled during the 1960s. By 1961, Charles Phelps Taft II was their only elected official. But in 1963, Berry joined Taft on the council.
In 1969, the Charterites and Democrats formed a new official team. They took control of the city government in 1971. Leaders from both groups, like Bobbie L. Sterne (Charterite) and Jerry Springer (Democrat), took turns leading the city. From 1973, they even shared the two-year mayoral term, with each party's leader serving one year.
Later Years and Current Status
The team-up between Democrats and Charterites ended in 1985. By then, Arn Bortz was the only Charterite left on the council. In 1983, Marian Spencer became the first African American woman elected to the Cincinnati City Council. She served as Vice Mayor and was a member of the Charter Party for one term.
Over the years, the Charterites worked on many important issues. These included reducing pollution and making sure city workers received fair wage increases. They also started the idea of keeping a public list of all city property. Another important idea they pushed for was "right-to-know" laws. These laws require private businesses to tell employees about the dangers of handling hazardous materials.
The Charter Committee was strongest in the 1950s. They ran the city government with Democrats who ran as Charterites. In the 1970s and 1980s, they worked with the Democrats in a coalition government until 1986. More recently, the Charter Committee has tried to support candidates outside of Cincinnati, like in nearby Covington, Kentucky.
The Charter Committee includes Democrats, Republicans, and independent voters. They believe in an active government that solves public problems. Their main supporters have been educated, older adults in Cincinnati who want progressive changes. The committee is now trying to reach younger voters. They are also looking into creating a regional government for the area.
The last Charterite mayor of Cincinnati was Arn Bortz. In the 1990s, the party almost disappeared. From 1993 to 2003, there was only one Charterite member on the city council. In 2015, there were three Charterite members: Yvette Simpson, Kevin Flynn, and Amy Murray.
As of August 2021, the current president of the Charter Committee is Darrick Dansby.
Platform
As of 2021, the Charter Committee's website says its main goals are based on three ideas: Return, Reform, and Renew. These ideas guide their work for good government.
Notable Charterites
- Chris Bortz
- Courtis Fuller
- Roxanne Qualls
- Murray Seasongood
- Yvette Simpson
- Marian Spencer
- Nick Spencer
- Bobbie L. Sterne
- Charles Phelps Taft II
- Jim Tarbell
- Reggie Williams
- Russell Wilson
Former Charterites
Many people who were once Charterites later joined one of the major parties or became independent. Some of them include:
- Ken Blackwell, who later became a Republican and held a state office in Ohio.
- John J. Gilligan, who was elected Governor of Ohio as a Democrat in the 1970s.
- Christopher Smitherman, a Cincinnati City Council member who later became an independent.
- Tyrone Yates, who was a Charterite on the city council before becoming a Democrat in the state legislature.
