Clovis council asks staff for deeper study on switching to charter city

The Clovis City Council on Jan. 13 directed staff to prepare a detailed analysis of a potential transition from a general law city to a charter city, focusing on legal limits, likely costs and a possible timeline for voter consideration.

City Clerk Brianna Parra opened the workshop by defining a charter as “a document that acts as a constitution for the City” and said the council first gave staff direction in May 2024 to explore the change. Parra and outside counsel Gail from Lozano Smith walked council members through the legal distinctions between general law and charter cities, examples of areas that courts have treated as municipal affairs, and the procedural steps required to place a charter before voters.

A charter gives a city broader authority over “municipal affairs,” Parra said; courts and practitioners commonly treat four categories as core municipal affairs: policing, submunicipal governments, the conduct and timing of city elections, and the manner in which municipal officials are elected. But Gail of Lozano Smith warned that the scope of municipal affairs has narrowed over time as the state has asserted certain issues are matters of statewide concern.

Gail cited recent litigation and legislation involving city charters and housing —…