Pass: 30,084 / 55.1% Yes votes ...... 24,543 / 44.9% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

If approved by a majority of those voting on it, the new Charter will become effective on the date accepted and filed by the California Secretary of State. If not approved by a majority, the existing Charter will remain in effect. The proposed changes are:

The City's form of government is changed from Council-Administrator to Council-Manager; the title of the chief administrative officer of the City is changed from City Administrator to City Manager. Currently, the City Administrator appoints or removes all non-elected department heads after review and approval by the City Council. The proposed Charter gives the City Manager authority to appoint or remove all department heads except elected officials and the Police Chief without City Council approval. Most other powers and duties of the position remain the same.

The current Charter requires voter approval for certain projects in city parks or beaches, including the construction of structures costing more than $100,000. The proposed Charter raises the cost threshold for such structures to $161,000, and adds an annual Consumer Price Index adjustment to the cost threshold. Under the proposed Charter, no voter approval would be required for certain public works utility structures, certain projects mandated by state or federal law, or certain renewable energy projects. For all projects subject to voter approval, the proposed Charter requires that appropriate environmental analysis, conceptual cost estimate, and reasonable project description must be completed and widely disseminated to the public before a project is submitted to the voters.

The proposed Charter will change numerous other operational aspects and policies of the City: the Preamble is amended to set forth the values, goals and purpose of the City government; new qualifications are added for the elected offices of City Clerk, City Treasurer, and City Attorney; the use of current technology to disseminate information and publish legal notices is required; elected department heads or their staff are prohibited from negotiating labor contracts on behalf of the City; new rules are added related to forfeiture of elected city offices, emergency ordinances, and submittal of the annual city budget to the City Council; threshold amounts for bidding on public works contracting would be set by ordinance, instead of by Charter; the City's fiscal year would be established by resolution of the City Council, instead of by ordinance; all department heads are required to assist and cooperate with the City Manager in administering the affairs of the City; and no less frequently than every ten years, the City Council is required to determine whether additional charter review is required.