Another Tax on Small Business is coming down the pike per U.S. Chamber of Commerce

As a small businessman, we are concerned about the economic impact this will have for our business, our customers and clients. The following information was passed on recently from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. We are members of the local Chamber of Commerce in Cedar Rapids.

Repeal
Withholding Now is a project of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in
partnership with the Government Withholding Relief Coalition,
as part of our collective efforts to repeal the 3% Withholding Tax -- another
roadblock for small businesses when they can least afford it.

The 3%
Withholding Tax will mandate that federal, state, and local governments withhold
3% from payments for goods and services, not only causing an unprecedented
paperwork burden for the government and companies who provide goods or services
to them, but forcing firms to increase costs to offset the impact of delayed
payments and disrupting business's cash flows. Through our site, you can take
action by encouraging Congress to repeal this burdensome withholding tax and
job-killing mandate, and instead focus on measures that will create jobs.

The negative impact on our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is very real in today's economic times.

Robin Tucker

What type of Recommendations should be made to the City Council from the Charter Review Commission?

Shouldn't the Home Rule Charter for the City of Cedar Rapids have the following article added? ARTICLE IX. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES. The following is an e-mail I have sent to the Charter Review Commission for future discussion.

I thought my fellow members might find this interesting from the City of
Iowa City taken from the CITIZEN GUIDE TO THE IOWA CITY HOME RULE CHARTER.
- February 2006

What is a "Charter Review Commission"?

The Charter Review Commission is a group of citizens appointed by the City
Council at least once every ten (10) years to review the Charter and
recommend amendments to Council. Council must either pass an ordinance
adopting the recommended amendments or submit the recommended amendments to the voters. The third, and most recent, Commission was established by
Council resolution on March 16, 2004, and began their work in May, 2004. The
Commission submitted its recommendations to amend the charter on January 19,
2005, and Council adopted all the recommendations by ordinance on March 1,
2005. Minutes and reports of the four (4) Charter Commissions, including the
original Charter Commission, are available in the City Clerk’s office.

What is meant by "Home Rule"?
"Home Rule" is the broad, although not unlimited, constitutional grant of
power to every city in Iowa authorizing self-governance. Municipal Home
Rule became effective in 1968 by virtue of an amendment to the Iowa
Constitution, voted on by the people. Later, the legislature adopted Iowa
Code Section 364.1 as part of the Home Rule Act, to complement the
Constitution. That section states, in part: “A city may,
except as expressly limited by the Constitution, and if not inconsistent
with the laws of the general assembly, exercise any power and perform any
function it deems appropriate to protect and preserve the rights,
privileges, and property of the city or of its residents, and to preserve
and improve the peace, safety, health, welfare, comfort,
and convenience of its residents.” The Iowa Supreme Court has issued many
opinions on the powers and limits of Home Rule. Determining whether a
particular local ordinance or resolution is authorized by Home Rule in any
particular instance requires a legal analysis.

(The above is from Iowa City's Citizen's Guide) - pulled from a Google
search.

*** Further, follow up to my comment on Section 2.06 Mayor. Section (a) on
"appoint with the advice and consent of the council the members of the
citizen advisory boards and commissions at the June 9, 2011 (meeting) just before we adjourned for the evening.

Here is some background information on my thoughts for the Home
Rule Charter. This includes a recommendation for a new section of our City
Charter, due to the recommendation I was about to make at our June 9Th
meeting to eliminate the Mayor's Power to "appoint with the advice and
consent of the council the members of citizen advisory boards and
commissions."

We should consider having a discussion at one of our meetings on the issue
of Boards, Commissions and Committees, which does not have a separate
section presently in the Charter. Other Home Rule cities do have sections
covering this aspect of municipal government.
Please don't create a meeting online, but I do want everyone to have time
to reflect on my discussion that was cut off, due to adjournment at last
night's meeting.

I would suggest Article IX. - Boards, Commissions and Committees for
consideration at our upcoming meetings.

Here is an example of it in the City of Iowa City Charter.

ARTICLE V. BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES

Section 5.01. Establishment.

With the exception of the police citizens review board, the council may
establish boards in addition to those required by state law and shall
specify the title, duties, length of term, qualifications of members and
other appropriate matters. The council may reduce or increase a board's
duties, transfer duties from one board to another or dissolve any board,
except as otherwise provided by state law or this charter.

A. There shall be a permanent police citizens review board, which shall
have vested in it the following minimum powers:

1. To hold at least one community forum each year for the purpose of
hearing citizens' views on the policies, practices, and procedures of the
Iowa City police department, and to make recommendations regarding such
policies, practices, and procedures to the city council;

2. To investigate citizen claims of misconduct by sworn police officers
and to issue independent reports of its findings to the city council; and

3. The authority to subpoena witnesses. (Res. 07-262, 8-31-2007)


Section 5.02. Appointment; Removal.

The council shall, subject to the requirements of state law, seek to provide broad
representation on all boards. The council shall establish procedures to give
at least thirty days' notice of vacancies before they are filled and shall
encourage applications by citizens. Council procedures for the removal of
members shall be consistent with state law. (Ord. 05-4152, 3-1-2005)

Section 5.03. Rules.

A. The council shall establish rules and procedures for the operation of
all boards, which must include but are not limited to, the adoption of
by-laws and rules pertaining to open meetings and open records. (Ord.
05-4152, 3-1-2005)

B. The council shall specify, for each board, methods for informal and
formal communication with council, time schedules for the completion of
reports requested by council and such rules as it deems appropriate.

C. A board may establish additional rules and procedures that are
consistent with state law, council rules, and this charter. (Ord. 76-2792,
1-2-1976)

After the feedback at a Civil Rights Community Forum on Saturday, June 4,
2011, it may be prudent to consider adopting the Article as written by the
City of Iowa City. A recent request by a citizen who has spent countless
hours of participation at local City Council meetings and local forums, it
appears time to consider for our Community. A Community - Police
Relations Board, according to the ICMA in 2006, found that 13.9% of
communities surveyed had one within their community.

Karl Cassel with the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, Robin Kash with
the Neighborhood Network News, Dedric Doolin with the NAACP Chapter in
Cedar Rapids would be among the people to contact to get feedback on this
issue. They were all at the Community Forum on June 4 sponsored by the
Civil Rights Commission.

I was going to ask Mayor Halloran last night, about the process they used
during her tenure in appointments for boards and commissions. Due to time
constraints, I thought it would be more appropriate to send an e-mail in
advance, so you can read ahead of time for next week's meeting, which is
at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, June 16, 2011 at City Hall North.

Have a great weekend.

Respectfully,
Robin Tucker
Commission Member

Here is some background information on another important aspect of our Home Rule Charter. CEDAR RAPIDS BOARD OF ETHICS RULES AND PROCEDURES, which was adopted on July 12, 2007.

What do you think of the Home Rule Charter? Visit the Charter Review Commission's web page.

Robin Tucker