In the early stages of any decentralized civic network, thoughtful trust structures are essential to ensure mission alignment, operational stability, and long-term community trust.

This proposal seeks to formally ratify the City Council Governance Framework — a transparent, structured system for stewarding the growth of City Nouns Global DAO, which supports the creation and growth of City DAOs worldwide (such as Nouns KC, Nouns Denver, and others).

City Nouns Global serves as the leading DAO that provides a shared global architecture and cultural framework to empower local City DAOs while preserving decentralization and autonomy at the local level.

In ratifying this framework, we affirm our collective commitment to decentralization, cultural integrity, and trust — not only in code, but in each other.

Let this serve as the foundation for a governance system that grows with us, evolves through community input, and honors the values City Nouns was founded upon.

This proposal also includes Addendum A to formally record the resignation of one founding Council member and to model clear governance processes for future City DAOs.

City Council Governance Framework

The City Council is designed to:

Safeguard the DAO’s integrity during early growth
Mitigate governance risk and volatility
Build trust with public, civic, and institutional partners
Uphold the DAO’s Code of Ethics as a civic public good

The Council Wallet is a strategic governance reserve, not a compensation pool or reward mechanism. Its tokens represent stewardship, not ownership.

Council Wallet Token Flow

Token Allocation

10% of tokens minted via auction → City Council Wallet

Primary Use Cases

Strategic Safeguard

Resist hostile governance actions
Block proposals violating DAO mission/values

Mission-Aligned Partnership Activation

No more than 20% of Council tokens per quarter may be deployed
Use cases include onboarding key civic, cultural, or technical partners where governance participation ensures alignment

Strict Prohibitions

Contributor compensation
Founder bonuses
Casual rewards or task-based bounties

Distribution Process

All distributions proposed publicly
DAO onchain vote required for approval

Grants Wallet Tokens

Token Allocation

5% of tokens minted via auction → Grants Wallet

Purpose

Lower participation barriers in auction-based DAO model
Prioritize marginalized, underrepresented, or financially constrained builders and contributors
Empower community-aligned builders through transparent grants

Oversight

Council presides over Grants process
Detailed Grants framework will be ratified in separate Treasury Framework proposal

The purpose of this wallet/program is to lower the barrier to entry for individuals who might otherwise be excluded due to the auction-based “pay-to-play” nature of DAO participation.

City Council Eligibility, Appointment & Compensation

Council members must embody trusted stewardship:

Demonstrated alignment with DAO mission and civic-first values
Capacity to maintain operational continuity and public trust
Strategic thinking and governance maturity
Strong commitment to DAO-wide cultural health and ethical leadership

City Council Composition & Term Structure

The City Council shall consist of an odd number of signers: 3, 5, 7, or higher, as determined by DAO vote.

Term Structure & Staggering System

Each signer serves a 1-year term (12 months)
Terms are staggered such that no more than ~1/3 of Council seats expire within any 6-month period

Staggering Model by Council Size

3 Signers

All serve initial 1-year terms
Renewal/replacement cycle begins annually, with no more than 1 seat rotated at a time

5 Signers

2 signers: initial 12-month terms
3 signers: initial 18-month terms
Thereafter, 2–3 seats rotate every 6 months

7 Signers

2 signers: initial 12-month terms
2 signers: initial 18-month terms
3 signers: initial 24-month terms
Thereafter, 2–3 seats rotate every 6 months

Larger Councils (9, 11, etc.)

Similar model: initial terms staggered from 12 to 24 months
No more than ~1/3 of seats rotate every 6 months

Initial Council Seating for First Term (Bootstrap Governance Phase)

As City Nouns Global DAO transitions from a founding team to a fully operational civic DAO, it is necessary to seed the initial City Council with trusted members who can ensure operational stability and cultural alignment.

For the initial Council term (Year 1):

The two remaining founding members of City Nouns Global DAO will appoint trusted experts, and civic-aligned advisors to serve as the first Council signers
The initial Council will consist of 7 members coming from existing token holders

This approach is aligned with best practices for bootstrap DAO governance — ensuring that trusted stewardship is in place while preserving open pathways for broad community participation as the DAO matures.

Future Council rotations will proceed per the governance framework:

No auto-renewals
Community-wide nomination and DAO vote required for renewals or replacements
Vacant seats will remain open to community members

Renewal and Replacement Process

At term end:

Renewal: Outgoing signer may be re-nominated and confirmed via DAO vote
Replacement: New candidate may be nominated and confirmed
Vacancy: If no confirmation within 30 days, seat becomes inactive temporarily; multi-sig operates with remaining quorum

City Council Member Compensation

1 City Nouns token per quarter, contingent on meeting minimum expectations
Distributed via Builder DAO native airdrop
Quarterly performance summary precedes airdrop; 7-day community dispute window applies

Council Member Minimum Expectations

Participation

Engage in at least 75% of proposal discussions and onchain votes
Publish public vote rationale for each vote

Operational Responsiveness

Sign transactions within 72 hours
Maintain governance availability; must notify immediately if wallet is compromised

Transparency

Disclose any conflicts of interest

Cultural Stewardship

Uphold DAO Code of Ethics
Model respectful governance behavior

Process Contributions

Assist with onboarding next signers
Participate in governance tooling reviews quarterly

Performance Noncompliance

Public concerns may initiate review
If unresolved, DAO may vote to remove the member
Removed members forfeit current quarter compensation

Resignation, Founder Transition, & Operational Integrity

Voluntary Resignation

Any Council member may resign with written notice and must assist with transition

Special Rule for DAO Founders (Early-Stage DAOs)

Founders must formally resign operational control upon leaving leadership roles
They remain valued DAO members and retain token rights
Resignation must be logged in public governance records

Veto Power

Purpose

Final safeguard to protect DAO mission integrity and public trust

Permitted Use Cases

Hostile governance capture
Violation of DAO mission/values
Security or legal risk
Procedural/technical malfunction
Proposals from members formally removed for misconduct

Activation

Requires multi-sig consensus
Public written rationale required within 24 hours

Addendum A — Founder Resignation Record, Community Acknowledgment, and Governance Learning

In the interest of full transparency and institutional clarity for City Nouns Global DAO and future City DAOs, this proposal formally records the following:

Founder Resignation

One of City Nouns Global’s three original founders, Mary Burger (aka Mary McCawley), submitted formal resignation from the City Nouns Council and operational leadership via written notice on May 20, 2025, at 7:37pm CT.

Her resignation stated:

“After much thought, I’ve decided to step away from City Nouns, effective immediately... I wish the project well and hope it finds the leadership and clarity it needs to succeed.”

A subsequent community governance proposal to reverse this resignation was respectfully considered and declined via DAO vote.

Acknowledgment of Contributions

City Nouns Global DAO formally acknowledges and thanks Mary for her meaningful early contributions, including:

Development of the CityNouns.wtf website
Coordination of the Global Pizza Day event
Securing local media coverage for City Nouns DAO
Helping define the DAO’s purpose, values, and initial launch strategy
Creation of marketing and promotional materials

These contributions were foundational in shaping City Nouns’ early growth and presence.

Principles for DAO Maturity

City Nouns Global DAO affirms the need for:

Clear contributor resignation processes
Formal role/rights removal mechanisms
Conflict resolution pathways
Formal prohibition of unilateral offboarding without DAO-approved governance

Community members should never be excluded without proper process, and clear governance is vital for the success of City Nouns Global and future City DAOs.

Current Status of Mary Burger (Mary McCawley)

Mary Burger is formally recorded as having resigned operational control and Council duties as of May 20, 2025
She remains a valued member of the DAO community, with full participation rights
She is eligible for future Council participation through normal governance pathways

We welcome and encourage her continued engagement within agreed community frameworks.

Purpose of this Record

This addendum provides:

Transparent governance history
Clear record of founder transition decisions
Incorporated lessons to strengthen DAO maturity and culture
A principled model for future City DAOs

Closing Statement

City Nouns Global DAO values principled decentralization, transparency, and community-first governance. We appreciate the work of all contributors — past, present, and future — and commit to building governance processes that reflect the civic values we seek to promote through the global City Nouns movement.

Proposer

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Proposed Transactions

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