REPORT TO CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Review of Scope for Charter Review Committee and Discussion of Work Plan
Report
BACKGROUND
The City Council established the Charter Review Committee (CRC) in 2024 to review the City of Sunnyvale Charter (Charter) and make recommendations to the Council for revisions to the Charter.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
The action being considered does not constitute a "project" with the meaning of the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378(b)(4) in that it is a fiscal and administrative activity that does not involve any commitment to any specific project which may result in a potential significant impact on the environment.
DISCUSSION
A. Overview of the Charter and Recent Revisions
A city charter is a legal document establishing a city. Historically, state involvement in city business caused tension between state and local governments. In the late nineteenth century, the California Constitution was amended to give "home rule" or "police power" to every city to "make or enforce within its limits all local, police, sanitary, and other ordinances or regulations not in conflict with the general laws." Cities with charters approved by the voters have additional authority over their own municipal affairs, and charter rules prevail in all matters related to the city's police force, local elections, and appointment, removal, and compensation of officers/employees paid by the city. Cal. Constit. art. XI, ? 5. Charter cities are subject to state law related only to issues deemed "matters of statewide concern."
Sunnyvale's Charter, available online at https://ecode360.com/SU5020, was adopted in 1949 and has been amended several times. The most recent reviews by charter review committees were: (1) comprehensive Charter review in 2007; (2) proposed changes related to directly elected mayor and council member compensation in 2011; (3) changes to city council vacancy process in 2018; and (4)...
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