Hello Council,
Based on my prior email on the topic of charter commissions and related, I heard from Steve Chessin, President, Californians for
Electoral Reform. In short, he pointed me to some additional pertinent California Codes. (Thank you Steve.) Council clearly has
the power to appoint a Charter Commission.
Election Code section 9255(a) [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=ELEC§ionNum=9255.]
has a reference to appointed charter commissions:
9255 (a) A charter or charter amendment proposed by a charter commission, whether elected or appointed by a governing body, for a
city or city and county shall be submitted to the voters at an established statewide general election pursuant to Section 1200,
provided there are at least 95 days before the election. A charter commission may also submit a charter pursuant to Section 34455
of the Government Code.
Government Code section 34458 [https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=GOV§ionNum=34458.]
states that "as an alternative to the procedure [of electing a charter commission] the governing body of a city..., on its own
motion, may propose or cause to be proposed, amend or cause to be amended, or repeal or cause to be repealed, a charter..."
Lynne Bramlett
