Brooklyn Center group pushing for ‘strong mayor’ referendum didn’t follow procedures

Voters in Brooklyn Center will not be the deciding factor on who runs the city after all.

A citizen-led group that had tried to get a strong-mayor form of government on the ballot this November failed to follow the proper procedures, according to city officials.

This week the city announced that Citizens for a Full-Time Mayor failed to comply with the law by turning in a petition with missing paperwork and ultimately not enough valid signatures.

RELATED: Brooklyn Center group works to change structure of city government, council member calls it a ‘very bad idea’

“I was somewhat relieved,” said April Graves, a candidate for mayor who will face off against incumbent Mike Elliot this November.

Elliot became the face of the city during the shooting of Daunte Wright in 2021.

The proposal would have turned the role of the mayor into a full-time job, making all key decisions and stripping power away from the city manager.

“I think it should be as it is, with the City Council giving consensus to the city manager and the city manager — a nonpolitical figure — running the day-to-day operations administration of the city,” Graves said.

Mayor Elliot has not responded to multiple requests for comment.

In an interview last month, the leader of the citizen group told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that the effort was all about accountability.

”It’s really about checks and balances and really having the voice of our residents be heard,” said Stefanie Nelson, who was leading the campaign.