In case you missed it, Dearborn resident Paula Hamilton-Stokes, who was elected and served on the Dearborn Charter Commission in 2007, says the city’s move to try and eliminate Dearborn’s Civil Service Commission through a ballot question sets a bad precedent.

In a column that first appeared in the Dearborn Press & Guide last week, she said she does not support Proposal Three, which would eliminate the Civil Service Commission.

“As one of nine former, elected Charter Commissioners I was charged with revising the city of Dearborn Charter. We laboriously scrutinized every section.

“We spent a minimum of time discussing Civil Service. Why…? There was little to discuss. The Civil Service Commission is doing its job. The Human Resources Department is doing its job, and the protections written into the charter are still valid today, perhaps even more so.

“Michigan’s governor has made it quite clear he will find the extra funds he is looking for, possibly at the expense of state employees, be they involved in teaching, or working at the local government level. The residents and the employees need Civil Service to continue standing sentry, looking out for our best interest.

“Changing the City Charter, a mere three years after its unanimous passage, sets a dangerous precedent. If the “powers that be” don’t like something, just re-word it so it suits you. We could find ourselves changing lots of things just because a few don’t approve.”

Hamilton-Stokes raises an interesting question. What has changed in three years since voters approved the City Charter that city leaders now have decided to bring Proposal 3 to the ballot?