Committee endorses charter requirement for a governance handbook with biennial review

The Charter Review Committee heard a formal recommendation April 2 from its governance practices subcommittee to amend the county charter to require a governance handbook and scheduled, public reviews at least every two years.

Subcommittee chair Eddie Flores said the recommended amendment to Section 206 would "adopt a governance handbook specifying the powers, duties, procedures, rules of operation, code of conduct, and ethical policies of the board and county employees," and require that the handbook be reviewed no less than every two years with appropriate amendments adopted by the board.

Eddie said the proposal builds on a draft governance handbook prepared by Board President Corso's office in February 2026, which already frames the handbook as a living document subject to periodic review and includes norms for agenda development, public comment, orientation for new supervisors and an integrated code of conduct. "This amendment gives the work permanence and ensures future boards are held to the same standard of regular public governance review," Flores said.

Supporters emphasized transparency, accountability and continuity: regular reviews would preserve institutional knowledge when board membership changes and would require a demographic report to measure equity and outcomes. One member noted a tradeoff: written requirements can reduce legal risk by clarifying expectations but may create new opportunities for litigation; presenters said the amendment preserves the board's powers while improving governance processes.

The committee signaled broad support and asked the subcommittee to finalize proposed charter language for a future vote; the proposal preserves the board's legislative and budgetary authority while embedding periodic governance review into the charter.