Tight timeline for Stockton charter review approved, ad-hoc committee holds first meeting
A review of Stockton's city charter will soon be underway, though some have raised concerns over the tight timeline approved by the Stockton City Council.
Members of the Charter Review Ad-Hoc Committee — Mayor Kevin Lincoln, District 1 Councilwoman Michele Padilla, and District 2 Councilman Dan Wright — met for the first ad-hoc committee meeting this week.
Lincoln, Padilla, and Wright discussed the purpose, goals, and meeting cadence of the Charter Review Advisory Commission — a citizens group that will be tasked with reviewing Stockton's charter and determining what revisions need to be made to it.
Commission members have yet to be appointed. The city is currently seeking applicants. Only two requirements to apply are listed on the city's website. Those are to be a Stockton resident and fill out a Statement of Economic Interests — a form which elected officials and public employees who make or influence governmental decisions must submit.
The timeline approved at the Oct. 24 meeting recommends that commission members be officially appointed no later than Nov. 14. It also recommends the commission meet three times before they prepare their report for the ad-hoc committee.
The commission will be expected to finalize proposed charter amendments by Jan. 25 and then submit to the full council for approval.
What the commission will review and why
The city council is asking the commission to prioritize articles 11 and 11A of the charter, both of which relate to public information. This comes after concerns were raised by District 3 Councilman Michael Blower that the city's current practices do not align with charter language.
One possible remedy the commission will explore is an amendment that would grant authority over the city's public information office to the city manager. If the commission, committee and council deem fit, the amendment could be sent out to voters next fall.
Public information officers handle community relations, media inquiries, requests for public records, and city website content.
In 2000, Stocktonians approved a measure amending the city's charter, which mandates the public information officer to work under the direction and supervision of the mayor.
But the city hasn't implemented that practice in the 23 years since the measure was voted on, according to City Attorney Lori Asuncion. Instead, the public information office is currently co-coordinated through the city manager's office and the mayor's office.
Under the proposed measure, the mayor's office would retain a public information officer to release news related to its office, while the city manager's office would handle news regarding all other city departments.
While the articles relating to public information will be the commission's priority, commissioners will also consider remedies for other discrepancies between the city's practices and charter language.
Lincoln, who was voted in as mayor in 2020, announced in July he will run for California’s 9th Congressional District seat. Lincoln, a Republican, will try to unseat Congressman Josh Harder (D-Tracy), who garnered nearly 96,000 votes in 2022. He beat out Republican challenger Tom Patti by nearly 10 percentage points.
Tight timeline
During public comment at the ad-hoc committee meeting on Wednesday, Stockton resident Julie Dunning questioned whether it was the "right time" for a charter review, given the "tight timeframe."
"Between (commission) meetings one and two, there's a 30-day lapse. Between (commission meetings) two and three, there's two weeks ... you get gaps of time in there and you're going to have to regroup everybody and start again," she said.
The mayor agreed that the review timeline is "tight." He added that the commission can choose to accelerate the timeline or extend the timeline as they see fit.
"However, any extension beyond Jan. 25 will impact the possibility of these charter amendments being placed on the ballot for Nov. 5, 2024," Lincoln said.
The review of the charter will occur in "blocks," with the committee determining which section of the charter the commission will focus on at each meeting.
"At every step of the way, that citizens advisory (commission) is going to know which section of the charter they're going to be reviewing," Lincoln said.
But City Clerk Eliza Garza said it would be "more feasible" for the commission to stick to the charter section including articles 11 and 11A due to the strict timeline. Amendments to these articles are the only changes that may end up on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot.
It could cost the city anywhere between $50,000 to $60,000 per charter amendment item, Garza added.
The next step in the charter review process is to appoint commission members. Garza said the city has already received a few applications, which staff are reviewing. After commission members are appointed, they will meet on Nov. 16.
"The (commission) will need to come ready to focus on this particular section of the (charter) because if we don't meet the timelines, then it won't be placed on this ballot," Lincoln said.
Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton moves forward with charter review process
