Bariloche launched the special participatory commission that will gather citizens' contributions before the reform of the Municipal Organic Charter. The process will run for three months and provide a working basis for the convention members to be elected on 1 November.
The commission will be chaired by Municipal Council president Gerardo Del Río, with Laura Totonelli as deputy chair. Her appointment received broad support and is intended to ensure continuity when the chair is unable to call meetings.
Councillors and representatives of the municipal executive agreed to decentralise the debate and take some activities into neighbourhoods. Municipal sports halls are being considered as venues to expand territorial participation.
July will be devoted to drafting internal rules and organising procedures. Meetings are expected to begin in August, at an average of two per week, and conclude by the end of October.
The National University of Río Negro submitted a technical proposal including two large open workshops, smaller workshops, interviews, focus groups, social media participation and thematic documents.
The final document will not be binding on the elected convention members, but it will serve as an initial input for updating the Organic Charter. The reform follows the mandatory review process held every twenty years.
