Four proposed changes to JC charter will be on ballot

Four proposed changes to Johnson City’s charter are set to go before voters in the August general election. Thursday night the City Commission approved the four proposals on the third reading. One of the ordinances would move municipal elections from November to August. It would also move the Board of Education primaries from August to March. Another proposed change would reduce the number of required readings for ordinances from three to two. Commissioners also want to reduce the number of times the budget must be advertised in the newspaper from two to one and allow the city manager to make temporary employee appointments for longer than 90 days. With the commission approving all four proposed changes, they will now go to the election commissioners of Washington, Carter, and Sullivan counties for placement on ballots in the Aug. 1 election.