The Redwood City Council is considering placing a measure on the Nov. 8, 2022 ballot with important City Charter amendments, and is inviting the community to weigh-in at a public hearing later this month.
The City Council meeting is July 25 at 6 p.m. at City Hall on 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. Streaming details can be found here.
Changes to the City Charter directly impact how the City government runs by helping define organization, powers, and functions. The document is equivalent to the constitution for federal or state governments.
Proposed amendments include moving the date of regularly scheduled City Council elections from April in even numbered years, to the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November of each even numbered year, and changing the date by which election results must be certified and City Councilmembers sworn in.
Another noteworthy amendment includes shortening the term of Mayor from two years to one. According to the City, this will allow more Councilmembers to serve as Mayor during their tenure on City Council.
The final amendment updates the practice of electing Councilmembers to meet California Voting Rights Act requirements. This amendment involves the city’s ongoing transition from at-large elections for Councilmembers to district elections. Under the district election system, members are elected by the geographic districts in which they reside, rather than by an at-large, citywide vote.
City Charter amendments can only be approved by a majority of local voters, not by the City Council.
The Charter in its entirety can be found here.
The Redwood City Charter was established in 1929 and has since been amended 17 times, most recently in 2018. The Charter is amended to comply with changes in state or federal law, opportunities created by new technology, and evolving good governance standards.
