Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Charter Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Charter review committee readies ballot proposals while a third-party petition threatens a November election
Summary
The Charter Review Committee presented draft amendments on salaries, audit oversight and campaign finance; members warned a third-party petition claiming local-preference procurement support had already gathered thousands of signatures and could force a November charter election, which would preclude other charter changes for two years.
The City's Charter Review Committee reported progress June 16 and asked the commission whether it preferred a November or May charter election.
Committee members outlined draft propositions under consideration for the ballot: raising mayor and commissioner salaries (proposed mayoral salary around $60,000 and commissioners $40,000 as options), formalizing the office of the city secretary in the charter, expanding the audit-oversight committee from five to seven members to allow broader appointments, clarifying municipal campaign finance authority, and strengthening disciplinary provisions for commissioners including possible forfeiture for serious misconduct or prolonged absences.
The committee said it could finalize language quickly but cautioned that a citizen petition filed by an outside group (described at the meeting as having gathered more than 6,000 signatures) seeks to codify a more robust local-preference procurement requirement. If that petition meets state-law signature thresholds and is certified for the ballot, state law would prevent other charter amendments for the next two-year period; the petitioners indicated they want a November ballot.
City staff said the city secretary will perform a certification review once the petition is filed; the practical deadline for ordering an election is mid-August if the ballot is to be held in November. Committee leaders asked the full commission to decide whether to pursue a November ballot to avoid being precluded by the petition or to proceed later in May 2027 if the petition is not certified.
The commission did not adopt final ballot language on June 16 and staff said it will return with specific proposition language and a timeline if the commission elects to proceed to a November election.
Why it matters: a certified citizen petition could lock the city into a November ballot and prevent the commission from placing other charter amendments before voters for two years; that timing would shape what items the city can feasibly amend this year.
Quote: "They told us they have over 8,000 [signatures] ... they plan to submit it within the next couple of days to the city secretary's office," the city secretary reported during the meeting.
Next steps: the committee expects to present finalized proposition text for commission consideration on July 7 and, if the commission chooses, call (order) a November election by the required August deadlines. If the petition is filed, city staff will perform a legal/compliance check and notify the commission.
