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Council reviews proposed charter amendments and directs staff to draft for May ballot
Summary
Council reviewed draft charter amendments and directed the city attorney to prepare ballot language for a potential special election (May 2, 2026); topics include compensation, borrowing thresholds for bonds/certificates of obligation, and other governance items.
The city attorney summarized proposed charter revisions and presented options for how the items would appear on the ballot. Council discussed whether certain items should require a supermajority or unanimous council vote to place bond measures on the ballot, how certificates of obligation interact with state law, and whether to present amendments individually or as a slate on the agenda.
Council members debated changing the borrowing threshold in Article 9 from the current 0.667 (two‑thirds) to require unanimity for certain actions; the city attorney advised that charter provisions can be trumped by state law in some cases and that litigation exposure exists for some proposed restrictions. The staff asked for drafting direction and indicated each amendment would be a separate citizen vote on the ballot if the council calls the election.
No final vote was taken at this meeting; the city attorney will draft the amendments and return them for council review before calling the special election.
Speakers (attributed in text): City Attorney Grady (presenter); multiple council members (identified by role, not always by name).
