Council hears questions on Charter Commission fee recommendation and tenant right-to-repair ballot proposal

Councilors questioned city staff about timing and budget implications after the Charter Commission recommended raising the fee paid to city council members and after the submission of a petition ordinance to put a tenant right-to-repair amendment before voters on the Nov. 4, 2025 municipal ballot.

A city staff member identified in the meeting as Mr. Staling told councilors the Charter Commission had discussed the fee increase for some time and that one commissioner had been pushing for it; the commission chose an amount they considered fair, which staff described as lower than the commissioners had originally wanted. Staling said the commission did not consider the city budget in setting the recommendation.

Councilor Randolph asked which city fund would cover the change; staff and Clerk Denham replied the cost would be borne by the city council budget within government funds. Randolph and other councilors raised timing questions, asking whether the recommendation should be aligned with final budget decisions; staff offered to research and provide additional budget detail before the next meeting.

The agenda also noted a petition ordinance to place a tenant right-to-repair amendment on the municipal ballot; staff did not indicate other Charter Commission budget proposals that would affect the city budget.

Why it matters: A fee increase for council members would affect the council’s operating budget. Separately, a ballot question on tenants’ right to repair could change city code and affect landlords, tenants and housing operations if adopted.

Next steps: Staff said they will follow up with specific budget details and the matter will appear on future agendas for council consideration.