Piercy was on the board of an org I led for several years. We also shared membership on a board, or two. In several instances of the "Profiles in Courage-"type, she bailed. 
She is exceedingly ambitious, and sometime during her first term, reached the conclusion that getting voter approval was iffy and messy. So, she systematically decided to remove it. 
This strategy works in the short run but is disastrous in the long run. Capstone, your south neighborhood issue, and City Hall are but several of the many debacles. 
What truly is shocking is the quietness of the electorate. But, what the hell, the Country Fair approaches, right?