If at first you don't succeed...

Alderman Scott Berg hopes the initial discussion on reducing the size of the Common Council from 14 to 9 isn't over, even though it was tabled at the legislative and licensing committee a couple of weeks back.

According to Brookfield NOW, Berg told the committee at that time, "In my opinion, better representation means each alderperson covers a smaller area with fewer people. That makes it easier to know the voters and issues in the district. When it comes to number of people represented, smaller is better."

However, the committee members, like Mayor Steve Ponto, weren't too receptive to the idea.

"Having seven aldermanic districts with two alderpersons per district has served Brookfield well for many years," Ponto told the committee. "Things are working very well and I regard this proposal as an unnecessary stirring of the pot."

Berg's proposal would create more districts, going from seven to nine, but would feature only one alderman per district. Currently each district has two aldermen representing its residents.

Yet Berg is undeterred, telling Brookfield Patch that "it certainly will be an uphill battle, but in talking with other aldermen, some are interested, some are not."

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He said he hoped the committee would revisit the issue as Alderman Gary Mahkorn had indicated could happen. Apparently the hope is that more council members would be present for a future discussion of the issue to give the committee a better idea of what everyone's opinion is.

"I could work to bring it to the council floor if I had a super majority, which I obviously don't have yet. In the meantime, it remains on the table in committee, which is good," Berg said, while admitting, "things have been known to be on the table for a decade, too."

The Legislative and Licensing committee meets next on Feb. 5 at 7:15 at City Hall.