I support an IOP City Council size of seven members. Most councils are proportional to the population of the municipality, the complexity of services provided, and the council's workload. IOP is one of 15 out of 271 municipalities in South Carolina that have more than seven members, and they are much larger than IOP. For example, Mount Pleasant has nine council seats with a population of over 90,000, while we have nine for just 4,347. With the reduction to seven members, the ratio of residents per council person is increased only slightly due to our population, so if you want someone’s ear, you should have it. Additionally, smaller council size leads to tighter elections and less dilution of votes. Next let's consider the complexity of services provided: wedon't have hospitals, an airport, industrial complexes, sporting arenas, etc., that might necessitate additional people. This is not to say that wedon't have important and vital issues to consider. Which brings me to the final consideration, the council's workload. The goal is that all council members are informed and engaged on all issues.
The workshop format the city is testing, with the possibility of moving to some committees, should work well with this goal. A smaller size of council directly affects its efficiency. A simple search about the optimal size of groups or teams for decision and policy making resulted in five to six people. Each additional person diminishes the group’s ability to reach a decision. In our case, seven council members will be just right.
Less is more – more effective, more informed, more committed. For that reason, I am voting yes for seven. The people on council will come and go, but the form of government and its opportunity to function effectively is enduring. I am proud that the majority of our city council voted to bring this to a referendum vote, so that we can all voice our opinion on this important issue.
