A charter city, pursuant to the California Constitution, has full, or plenary, authority over all municipal, or city, affairs, and is not subject to the constraints imposed by general law. It remains, of course, subject to Constitutional limitations, and it remains subject to general laws where the issue is one of statewide concern and is not solely a municipal, or city, affair. Any city may become a charter city by following the procedures prescribed by the California Constitution and Legislature. Among those procedures is the requirement that the adoption of a charter be approved by the voters of the city.

Areas in which a charter city has greater control over its own affairs than a general law city has include, for example only, such areas as the conduct of municipal elections, procedures for initiatives, referendum and recall, procedures for adopting ordinances, bidding by public works contracts, making charitable gifts, organizational structure of city government, and regulations and government of the police force.

This measure, if adopted, would convert Hughson into a charter city, but would not adopt any specific provisions concerning municipal affairs. The present ordinances, regulations and policies would remain in place until changed by the City Council, but the Council would have greater latitude in changing such ordinances, regulations and policies, so long as any change related to municipal affairs.

If the measure is not adopted, no change in the present governmental structure of the City would occur.

The cost associated with adoption of this measure is minimal, consisting primarily of staff time to process and file copies of the charter, the cost associated with operating Hughson as a charter city, as compared to a general law city, may increase in certain areas, such as staff time, and may decrease in other areas, such as costs associated with public works projects.