BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — City officials in Battle Creek are considering changing the language of the city charter to remove pronoun-specific terms in relation to job titles.
Some city officials say that the charter is outdated and should be rewritten with more inclusive language. The language refers to job titles within the city, such as those of the city attorney, with terms like “he” and “his.”
For example, section 2.3 of the charter reads in part as follows:
“The office of Ward City Commissioner shall be deemed vacant if the Ward City Commissioner removes his residence from the ward during his term of office.”
The language would be updated to change these instances to terms like “their.”
Officials say that doing so would eliminate any confusion over who can hold these job positions, as well as being friendlier to the transgender community.
The matter will be voted on during a special election on March 10th. Officials say the day was chosen as a matter of convenience for citizens to have it as the same day as the primary election.
