The Richmond City Council could order a wholesale review of the City Charter after nearly four years of constitutional clashes with Mayor L. Douglas Wilder.

With another fight brewing over whether it passed a valid budget for next year, the council may set up a commission to review and recommend changes to the charter, a customized set of laws for the city's elected-mayor form of government.

As contemplated, the commission would have seven members -- three appointed by the council, three appointed by the mayor and a chairman appointed by the commission itself.

Councilman Bruce W. Tyler said the commission would not be tapped to address specific concerns with the charter. However, he said the council's staff would share its list of nearly 20 issues that have been identified for potential amendments.

"I would expect the mayor to do the same thing," he said.

No timetable is being contemplated for the review, but it's unlikely that changes would be proposed to the General Assembly before 2010, Tyler said. "We need to let the commission members decide what the timetable should be."

The City Charter was amended in 2004 to provide for the change from a city manager form of government to one based on an elected mayor who is separate from the council. Further amendments were made in 2005 and 2006 but without a thorough review.

The council and Wilder have found themselves increasingly at odds over the charter. Last year, they tussled over the mayor's claim to the authority to appoint the council's legislative staff and the city assessor, and over his attempt to evict the city schools administration from City Hall despite a lease approved by the council. Circuit Judge Margaret P. Spencer ruled with the council on both matters, which are on appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court.

Last week, Wilder declared the council's approved budget for fiscal 2008-09 invalid and said the budget that he had proposed would take effect July 1.

Wilder has endorsed a review of the charter, but spokesman Linwood Norman said the mayor would withhold comment on the proposed commission until it's formally proposed. As contemplated, the commission would replace one that was approved by council more than a year ago, although no members have been appointed.

In an e-mail statement released this week, Wilder accused the council of dragging its feet on the charter review and of trying to control the process. He suggested that council members revived the idea of a commission only after his announcement last month that he would not seek re-election.

Tyler said Wilder's announcement was irrelevant and that council members would have waited longer if they were trying to avoid working with him.

"Why would we be trying to push this forward and allow him to put three members on the committee?" Tyler asked.
Contact Will Jones at (804) 649-6911 or wjones@timesdispatch.com.