Group petitioning for change in form of government

D’IBERVILLE — A group of D’Iberville residents is starting a petition drive to change the city’s form of government from council-manager to one where the mayor wields more power.

The city currently operates under a form of government where the appointed city manager makes many of the major decisions and the elected mayor has less power than in most other Coast cities.

John Rhodes tells The Sun Herald his group, known as Citizens For a New Form of Government, needs signatures from 20 percent of the registered voters inside the city of about 9,500. Rhodes said the group believes the fast growing city would be better served with a mayor-council form of government, in which the mayor, who is accountable to voters, makes more of the decisions.

Currently, former state legislator Michael Janus serves as city manager and Rusty Quave is mayor.