Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout- - Process to Adopt Charter Attachment 6 - 6/5/2012ATTACHMENT 6 Process used to adopt a charter There are two ways to draft and adopt a city charter. The first is to elect a charter commission. The commission then has the responsibility of debating over the provisions and the drafting of the charter. The other alternative allows the governing board of the city, on its own motion, to draft the charter. In either case, the charter is not adopted by the city until it is ratified by a majority vote of the city's voters. When using the charter commission approach, the first step is to elect the commission. The vote to elect a charter commission is called for by either a majority vote of the city's governing body or by a petition signed by not less than fifteen percent of the registered voters within the city. If the formation of a charter commission is requested by a petition, the authority in charge of the city's registration records must verify the signatures on the petition. The expense of this verification must be paid for by the city's governing board. If the petition is verified, the city's governing board must call for an election in accordance with sections 1000 and 10403 of the California Elections Code. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34452. Once it has been decided that a charter commission election will take place, candidates for commissioners must be nominated. Candidates for the office of charter commissioner are nominated either in the same manner as officers of the city or by petition. A candidate for charter commissioner must be a registered voter of the city. After the election of commissioners, any vacancy on the commission will be filled by a mayoral appointment. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34452. At an election for charter commission members, the voters will vote first on the following question: "Shall a charter commission be elected to propose a new charter?" After voting on this question, the voters will then vote for the charter commission candidates. If a majority of the voters vote for the formation of a charter commission, then the top fifteen candidates for the office of charter commissioner will be organized as the city's charter commission. No commission will be formed if a majority of voters vote against the election of a charter commission. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34453. Once formed, the charter commission will have the responsibility of developing the city's charter. After a simple majority of commissioners have decided that the proposed charter is appropriate, they file the charter with the city's clerk in preparation for a vote by the city's electorate. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34455. However, instead of sending the whole charter at once, periodically the commission may send portions of the charter to the city's electorate for a vote. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34462. After the charter (or portions of it) has been filed, it must be copied in type greater than 10 point and either mailed to all the voters of the city or made available to those citizens who wish to review it before the election. The city may show the difference between existing provisions of law and the new charter through the use of distinguished type styles, but this is not required. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34456. After the charter has been filed with the city clerk, the city's governing board must decide whether to call a special election or to wait until the next established municipal election to submit the charter to the voters. If the city's governing board determines that a special election should be held, then they must call for that special election within 14 days of the charter being filed. The special election must be set at least 95 days after ATTACHMENT 6 the date from which the special election was called. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34457. In any case, the charter commission must send the charter to the voters within two years of the vote that formed the commission. Upon the expiration of the two-year time period, the commission is abolished. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34462. The alternative to electing a charter commission is to have the city's governing board develop and draft the charter. An election to decide on the adoption of a charter may be called by initiative or the city council. See Cal. Const. art. XI, § 3. On its own motion, the city's governing board may propose a charter and submit it to the voters for adoption. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34458. With this option, the governing board can call a special election or allow the charter to be voted on at any established election date, as long as that election date is at least 88 days after the proposed charter was filed with the city clerk. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34458. As a practical matter, an election may have to be called sooner than 88 days before the election in order to meet certain notice and ballot printing deadlines. In either case, the majority of voters must vote in favor of the proposed charter for it to be ratified. The charter will not go into effect until it has been filed and accepted by the Secretary of State. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34459. After a charter is approved by a majority vote of the voters, the mayor and city clerk shall certify that the charter was submitted to the voters of the city and that it was approved by a majority vote. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34460. One copy of the approved charter shall be filed with the County Recorder's office and one shall be kept in the City's archive. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34460. A third copy of the charter must be submitted to the Secretary of State with (1) copies of all publications and notices in connection with the calling of the election; (2) certified copies of any arguments for or against the charter proposal which were mailed to the voters; (3) a certified abstract of the vote at the election on the charter. See Cal. Gov't Code section 34460.