The 10th-largest city in Alabama is ready to move forward with a referendum on whether it should change its system of governance.

Madison has been looking at switching from a mayor-council form of government to a council-manager format and its citizens are expected to vote on the issue in the spring, Mayor Paul Finley said.

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Madison Forward, a group pushing for the format change, submitted a petition with more than 1,000 signatures that Madison County Probate Judge Frank Barger – the county’s top election official – certified last week. With those signatures approved, the next step is setting a date for a city-wide vote.

Finley said he will work with Barger on setting a date and finalizing details for the vote. The mayor informed the city council Monday that the petition process had been completed and approved.

Barger’s order certifying the petition said 1,108 signatures were submitted. In Madison County, 754 signatures were approved and in Limestone County, 158 signatures were approved by its Probate Judge Charles Woodroof. Those 912 approved signatures exceed the minimum of 895, Barger’s order said.

“Both Judge Barger and Judge Woodroof have certified that (Madison Forward) met the number of signatures needed to move forward toward a vote,” Finley said Monday. “I’ll work with Judge Barger to set the date, which we’ll bring to the next (city) council meeting (on March 13). It would most likely be one of the first three Tuesdays in May.”

The proposed new format, which Finley has said he favors, would place the mayor as an at-large, elected member of the city council. The city council would then hire a city manager that would oversee day-to-day details of running the city while the mayor’s new position would place that person in a position to help set the vision for the city. The city manager would be charged with implementing the vision of the mayor and the city council.

About a dozen of Alabama cities and towns utilize the council-manager governing format. Auburn Mayor Ron Anders, whose city is among those with a council-manager format, has worked with Madison through its fact-finding process.

City voters would need to approve the change before it moves forward.

Should the new format be approved, Madison will be faced with redistricting its city council because one district will be eliminated. The city will then have six districts – each with a council representative – and the mayor, which would represent the city as a whole, would round out the seven-member council.

If the proposal is voted down, there will be no changes to city government.

If the proposal is supported, Finley said the city would have about two years to make the transition.