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Charter Review Committee presents 42 proposed charter amendments; commission to consider November ballot
Summary
A Charter Review Committee presented 42 recommended amendments to modernize the charter, clarify election thresholds and eligibility, add a code-of-ethics requirement, and tighten recall/referral processes. The commission plans public town halls and will vote on whether to place amendments on the November ballot.
Scott Haney, chair of the Charter Review Committee, presented a comprehensive package of 42 proposed amendments to the city charter aimed at modernizing language, correcting archaic references, and aligning local rules with state law.
Key proposed changes include standardizing references (replacing references to 'council' with 'city commission'), clarifying quorum language, removing obsolete transitional language tied to the 2016 revision, and conforming candidate residency requirements to state law by changing the residency threshold from two years to 12 months. The committee proposed updating the voting threshold language to reflect state law that a candidate must receive a majority (50.1%) to be elected, and it recommended clearer and more detailed charter language on recall, referendum and initiative procedures — including filing time limits, thresholds, and safeguards against repetitive petitions. The package also would require the commission to adopt a code of ethics by ordinance and allow the commission limited authority to make non‑substantive technical corrections to the charter without a public referendum.
The committee said it met six times since being appointed, reviewed older provisions for archaic references (telegraphs, calabooses) and recommended language drafted with input from the city attorney to bring the charter into conformance with state and federal law where appropriate. The commission discussed next steps: if the commission accepts the proposed revisions, they would be placed on the ballot this November and staff will hold town halls (the committee scheduled a public town hall for Aug. 25 at the Welcome Center). The commission did not vote on final adoption at this meeting; staff said the item will return (with an election order) on the Aug. 4 special meeting agenda.
