Would Richmond be better off returning to a City Council-manager form of government?

Or would the city operate better if the elected mayor were a member of the council as is the case in Norfolk?

Should members of the governing body receive higher salaries so they could serve full time rather than juggling full-time jobs along with their government service?

Behind the scenes, those questions have been the subject of plenty of debate.

Soon, they will on the front burner.

After years of talk and months of dawdling over appointments, the council is on the verge of “standing up” a commission to review and recommend changes to the charter.

The charter has had piecemeal changes in recent years, but the largest overhaul in recent memory dates back to 2004 when the General Assembly approved the voter-supported plan to replace the council-manager government.

That is when the current practice of having an independent elected mayor as chief executive with a chief administrative officer — essentially a city manager — serving as the No. 2 official at City Hall, though still with full authority to hire and fire top officials and execute policies.

In private, council members speak of frustration with this separation of powers that creates an “us vs. them” mentality.

Sixth District Councilwoman Ellen F. Robertson, who believes there “are changes that need to be made to make our government better,” succeeded last November in getting council to approve creation of a commission to recommend changes for the council to consider and send to the General Assembly for approval.

The first six members of the City Charter Review Commission are to be appointed at the first scheduled council meeting this month, Monday, Sept. 12.

That is a sufficient number to launch the commission, although three vacancies still exist.

As recommended by council’s Government Operations Committee, the first six members who are slated for appointment, by district, are: 1st District, Kyle Elliott, general counsel for the Virginia Community Healthcare Association; 3rd District, Rachael Deane, Education Law Center’s director of Legal State Policy Support; and 4th District, William E. Echelberger Jr., a retired budget and financial analyst for City Council and the state Senate; 5th District, Dr. Thad Williamson, a University of Richmond assistant professor and former director of the city Office of Community Wealth Building; 6th District, Dr. Bre’Auna K. Beasley, staff member at the state Supreme Court; and 7th District, Travis C. Gunn, an appellate attorney with McGuireWoods.

Still missing are appointees from the 2nd, 8th and 9th Districts.