BEND, OR -- Bend City Councilors rejected a proposal to change to a partial ward system for electing Councilors, but two other recommendations from the Charter Review Committee could soon go to voters. More than a dozen citizens testified at Wednesday's meeting, most opposed to choosing Councilors based on where they live.

The Council did agree to continue talking about a directly elected Mayor and removing Councilor and Mayor pay from the charter. They’ll discuss those issues again January 17.

At the same meeting, Council approved a request by Bend Fire to refer a resolution to the May ballot, to renew a five-year operating levy. The Measure, if approved, would continue the current tax rate of  20-cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.