Santa Barbara council approves placing charter amendment on June ballot to let council approve longer contracts and leases

The City of Santa Barbara City Council voted to place a proposed amendment to the city charter on the June 2, 2026 special election ballot that would modernize how the city approves contracts and leases.

City staff presented the proposed language and a draft resolution at the Feb. 3 meeting, recommending a June special election consolidated with the state primary. The staff presentation said the measure would amend Section 500.21 of the Charter to allow the Council to approve contracts for a period greater than five years either by ordinance or by resolution and would remove the Charterexplicit 50‑year lease limitation for city property. According to staff, the resolution would also authorize the mayor to file an argument in favor of the measure, direct the city attorney to prepare an impartial analysis, and ask the county to consolidate the election with the June primary.

Staff gave a schedule for ballot materials and deadlines: direct arguments were listed as due Feb. 26, rebuttal arguments by Mar. 8, and the impartial analysis and city attorney materials by Mar. 9. The presentation included a staff estimate of the costs to hold the measure on the June special election at approximately $195,000 and a lower estimated cost if consolidated with a November general election.

Council members asked technical and policy questions. Council Member Jordan asked whether state constitutional provisions or federal aviation restrictions (for airport property) could limit the city
s ability to approve certain long leases; staff responded that some property types (for example, tidelands or airport parcels) may remain subject to other legal limitations but that the proposed amendment would provide local flexibility where allowed. Several council members urged simple, clear ballot language so voters would understand the change.

Debate also focused on timing. Some members supported the June timeline to provide flexibility earlier for development negotiations and to avoid construction inflation; others raised turnout concerns for a primary consolidated special election and worried that a June placement could risk a failed measure due to lower participation. After staff revised the ballot language on the record and the Council discussed two small changes to the resolution, Mayor Pro Tem moved — and Council Member Hartmann seconded — adoption of the resolution placing the measure on the June 2, 2026 ballot and assigning funds from general‑fund reserves to cover the expected election costs.

The Clerk conducted a roll call; council members present voted to adopt the resolution as revised. The motion carried by recorded vote as read into the official record.

What happens next: the resolution directs the city attorney to prepare an impartial analysis for the ballot packet, allows the mayor to file an argument in favor of the measure, and directs staff to take required steps to place the measure before voters on June 2, 2026. The Council also approved an appropriation from reserves to cover election costs tied to the measure.

Quotes from the meeting:
"Si ponemos la medida en la boleta electoral en junio, costaría aproximadamente 195,000" (City staff, presenting estimated election cost).
"La ciudad puede arrendar propiedades de su propiedad... en los términos que establezca el Concejo Municipal" (Draft ballot language read aloud by staff).

Ending: The resolution was adopted by roll call vote and the Council closed the item after confirming schedule and funding steps.