Council reviews multiple charter amendment proposals set for November ballot if approved

City staff presented Council Bill 2606‑33 on June 24, the first reading of several proposed charter amendments the council could decide to send to the November 3, 2026 ballot. The package would make changes to council eligibility, meeting frequency, civil‑service application, initiative and referendum processes, voter information and term limits.

Jennifer (staff) walked the council through each proposed proposition. Key elements include a one‑year residency requirement for district seats matching at‑large seats; a prohibition on holding another outside elected office except certain precinct committee roles; and a requirement that elected officials take the oath of office. Another proposition would set a minimum of 36 council meetings per year, with the schedule set in January and limited flexibility to change it.

A notable change in the initiative and referendum sections would raise the signature threshold to 10% of the last mayoral election electorate (up from 5%), align counting to the county auditor and allow a 10‑day curing period for invalidated signatures. The charter package would also add a requirement that the city finance director prepare a fiscal impact statement to accompany initiative material; staff recommended linking the full statement on the city website while keeping the official 200‑word explanatory statement concise.

The package would align civil service applicability with state law to apply to police and fire only, which the presenter said would require bargaining with affected employee groups. Other changes include periodic charter review every five years and expanded website‑based noticing options for ordinances and bids. One proposed addition would limit council and mayoral service to three consecutive four‑year terms with a four‑year gap before returning to office.

Councilmembers were invited to review the materials and expected more substantive discussion during upcoming meetings; this hearing was informational and no ordinance placement on the ballot was finalized at the June 24 first reading.