Dear Joe, the question you’ve raised is very important, and I’ve taken the time to think it over before answering with maximum transparency and clarity.
First of all, I’d like to clarify that the draft proposal you’re referring to was presented to all members of the Board and the BCC by its authors at the same time as it was presented to the members of the teams and committees—that is, two weeks ago. I am therefore not answering your questions on behalf of its authors. My answers are those of someone who is currently reading and reviewing this text.
“What is your own position on stronger hierarchical leadership structures in a volunteer-driven open source community like TYPO3?”
I’ve been on the other side of the fence in the past year, and I’d like to share the lessons I’ve learned: we’ve missed important opportunities for change because of poor communication. We didn’t involve the people affected by the change in the decision-making process early enough, and this naturally led to resistance or rejection. It’s important to stay humble and acknowledge our mistakes so we don’t repeat them.
As far as I know, the proofreading is still underway, and not all the feedback has been incorporated yet. So I don’t think I’m wrong in saying that, as it stands today, this text isn’t “ready.” Before it is made public, it must first be adopted by the people affected by this change, which seems logical to me, because without that adoption, the result would be a text that describes a wish, but not what is actually happening.
I would like the community not to miss a strategic opportunity for change a second time. As for me, rather than harshly criticizing everything I don’t like in this document, I’ve decided first to keep in mind that the people who wrote it were trying to solve problems that exist in the current system, and that there are parts of these proposals that surely reach consensus—so we shouldn’t throw them out with the rest. Anyway, it’s certainly the reaction I would have hoped for when I was in the shoes of its authors 
I have always viewed change as an opportunity, and I strongly recommend that team leaders provide constructive feedback on this proposal, rather than blocking it or, worse yet, staying silent and enduring it. Yes we need a stronger structure, but to be solid, this structure must support all the echelons from the lower to the higher. I also strongly encourage active community contributors—who have already earned the trust and respect of their peers—not to hesitate to apply for any leadership positions that will undoubtedly be offered in the future. In particular, and because this is important to me, I wish the future leadership of TYPO3 project to be truly international and truly diverse, just as an open-source project is meant to be. Diversity can only work if it is represented at all layers.
“Do you think such a model, if it exists or is being prepared, should be published and openly discussed before the election?”
The General Assembly must formally vote only legal or regulatory changes; if such a proposal results in amendments to the association’s bylaws, indeed, those specific amendments must be put to a vote. When some texts strongly establish rules regarding how community members interact, these texts are submitted for the community’s approval; this is what was done, for example, with the code of conduct. Finally, there are other internal procedures that generally remain internal and change regularly to adapt to the organization’s evolving needs; these texts generally remain internal for obvious reasons of efficiency. I don’t know yet which category this text will fall into once it’s finalized, maybe it should be split up to ensure transparency and a proper democratic process.
I hope I’ve answered your questions; please let me know if you think anything is missing.