Comparative Information on City Charters from California’s Largest Cities January 15, 2015 Committee on Charter Review
City and County Charters Reviewed • San Diego • Sacramento • San Diego County • Long Beach • Los Angeles • Oakland • San Jose • Bakersfield • San Francisco • Anaheim • Fresno • Santa Ana 2 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
City of San Diego Major Sections of San Diego’s City Charter 2013 Population Estimate: 1,355,896 Current Charter Initiation Date: April 1931 Article Title Government Structure: Mayor-Council I Corporate Powers City Attorney (elected or appointed): Elected II Nominations and Elections Charter Length: 149 pages III Legislative Power Number of Major Sections in Charter: 15 articles IV The Mayor V Executive and Administrative Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: Service • 245 Chaptered Charter Amendments since VI Board of Education 1931 VII Finance • There have also been: VIII Civil Service – 8 Citizen Charter Review Committees IX The Retirement of Employees – 105 ballot measures voted on by the X Transfer of Police and Fire Dept. public (79 approved) Employees into the Retirement System – 12 citizen petitions that qualified to amend Fireman’s Relief and Pension Fund XI the Charter (only 3 approved) XII Labor on Public Work Has the City's Charter been rewritten? Yes. XIII City Police Court • First freeholders city charter adopted in 1889. XIV Miscellaneous Provisions • Original version of today’s City Charter XV Strong Mayor Form of Governance approved and enacted in April 1931. 3 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
San Diego County 2013 Population Estimate: 3,211,252 Current Charter Initiation Date: August 21, 1978. Government Structure: Board of Supervisors Major Sections of San Diego County’s County District Attorney (elected or Charter appointed): Elected Preamble Charter Length: 18 pages Article Title Number of Major Sections in Charter : 11 major I Definitions sections (including preamble and articles) II Initiative, Referendum, and Recall III County Powers Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: In IV Board of Supervisors 17 elections between 1978 and 2010, 66 V Powers and Duties of the Board of sections in the San Diego County Charter Supervisors were amended, 20 were added, and 6 were VI Elective Officers repealed. VII Appointive Officers and Boards Has the County’s Charter been rewritten? Yes. VIII Budget and Accounting • Original County Charter enacted in 1933. IX Personnel System • Revised, “Plain Talk” Charter enacted in 1978 X General Provisions • The new Charter: – Reorganized provisions – Restructured overly complex sentences – Did not make substantive changes to existing charter 4 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
Los Angeles 2013 Population Estimate: 3,884,307 Major Sections of the Los Angeles City Charter Current Charter Initiation Date: Adopted Preamble Article Title June 8, 1999 I. Incorporation and Powers Government Structure: Mayor-Council II. Officers of the City City Attorney (elected or appointed): III. Finance, Budget and Contracts Elected IV. Elections V. Departments Charter Length: 352 pages, plus 40 pages VI. Proprietary Departments listing section changes and amendments VII. City Ethics Commission; Special Number of Major Sections in Charter: 14 Prosecutor Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: VIII. Board of Education IX. Department of Neighborhood 23 Empowerment Has the City's Charter been rewritten? Yes X. Employment Provisions • First City Charter enacted in 1889 XI. Pension and Retirement Systems LA City Employees’ Retirement • Replaced in 1925 and 1999 Part 1 System • 2 attempts to replace the 1925 Charter in Water and Power Employees’ Part 2 early 1970s, but both attempts failed Retirement Plan • Under pressure from succession LA used Part 3 Fire and Police Pension Plan 2 commissions over 2 years to develop its General Provisions revised charter (adopted in 1999) 5 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
San Jose 2013 Population Estimate: 998,537 Major Sections of San Jose’s City Charter Current Charter Initiation Date: May 1965 Article Title Government Structure: Council-Manager I Incorporation and Succession City Attorney (elected or appointed): Appointed II Powers of the City III Form of Government Charter Length: 81 pages IV The Council Number of Major Sections in Charter: 18 V The Mayor articles, plus a legislative history VI Legislation Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: VII City Manager • In 30 elections between 1965 and June 2012, VIII Administrative Organization voters approved the: IX Officers and Employees – Amendment of 122 sections X Boards and Commissions – XI Civil Service System Addition of 29 sections XII Fiscal Administration – Repeal of 3 sections XIII Franchises – Deletion of 2 sections XIV School System Has the City's Charter been rewritten? Yes. XV Retirement • First charter went into effect in 1850. XVI Elections • XVII General Provisions Replaced several times, including: XVIII Transitional Provisions – 1915 (effective in 1916) – 1964 (effective in 1965) Legislative History 6 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
San Francisco Major Sections of San Francisco’s City Charter 2013 Population Estimate: 837,442 Preface to the 1996 Charter Preamble Current Charter Initiation Date: 1996 Article Title Government Structure: Mayor-Board of I Existence and Powers of the City and County Supervisors II Legislative Branch Exec. Branch — Office of Mayor III City Attorney (elected or appointed): Elected Exec. Branch — Boards, Commissions and IV Departments Charter Length: 577 pages Exec. Branch — Arts and Culture V • 154 pages for the preface, preamble, and VI Other Elective Officers VII Judicial Branch articles VIII Education and Libraries • 423 pages of appendices VIIIA The Municipal Transportation Agency VIIIB Public Utilities Number of Major Sections in Charter: 28 major IX Financial Provisions sections (includes preface, preamble, articles, X Personnel Administration XI Employer-Employee Relations System and charter appendices) XII Employee Retirement and Health Services Systems Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: 81 XIII Elections XIV Initiative, Referendum and Recall • 111 amendments put before voters on 27 ballots XV Ethics since 1996 XVI Miscellaneous Provisions XVII Definitions • 81 amendments passed, 30 failed XVIII Transition Provisions Has the City's Charter been rewritten? Yes. The Charter Appendices A. Employee Provisions • Charter of San Francisco has been rewritten a B. Port Agreements number of times (including in 1851, 1854, 1855, C. Ethics Provisions D. Building Inspection Provisions 1900, and 1931) E. Supervisorial District Boundaries • Latest version took effect in 1996 F. Authority and Duties of City Services Auditor 7 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
Fresno 2013 Population Estimate: 509,924 Major Sections of Fresno’s City Current Charter Initiation Date: Adopted on Charter April 8, 1957 Article Title Government Structure: Mayor-Council I Incorporation and Succession City Attorney (elected or appointed): Appointed II Powers of the City III Elective Officers Charter Length: 55 pages IV The Mayor Number of Major Sections in Charter: 15 V The Council Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: VI Legislation • Since 1977 (in 14 different elections): VII Chief Administrative Officer – 71 sections of the City’s Charter amended VIII Officers and Employees IX Boards and Commissions – 5 sections repealed X Civil Service System – 2 sections added XI Retirement Has the City's Charter been rewritten? Yes. XII Fiscal Administration • First City Charter adopted in 1899, and XIII Franchises approved in 1901 XIV Elections • Original Charter rewritten in 1920 XV General Provisions • Most recent Charter adopted in 1957 8 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
Sacramento Major Sections of Sacramento’s City Charter 2013 Population Estimate: 479,686 Article Title I Introductory Current Charter Initiation Date: Enacted in II Powers 1921 III The City Council IV Mayor Government Structure: Council-Manager V City Manager City Attorney (elected or appointed): VI Other Appointive Officers Appointed VII Civil Service VIII Certain Departmental and Personnel Charter Length: 50 pages Provisions Number of Major Sections in Charter: 19 IX Fiscal Administration X Elections Articles XI Initiative, Referendum, Recall Number of Adopted Charter Amendments: XII Board of Education XIII Franchises, Licenses, Permits, Leases • Between 1933 and 2002: and Sales – 54 elections considered changes to the XIV Public Contracts and Supplies XV Boards, Commissions and Agencies Charter XVI Provisions Miscellaneous – 111 of the proposed changes passed, 45 Sacramento City Employees’ Retirement XVII failed System XVIII Impartial and Binding Arbitration for Has the City's Charter been rewritten? Yes. Police Department Employee Disputes • First city charter enacted in 1850 XIX Impartial and Binding Arbitration for Fire Department Employee Disputes • Current charter dates back to 1921 9 Office of the Independent Budget Analyst
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