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About the City Charter
In many communities, there exists a fundamental document that serves as the City’s charter and backbone of local governance. Tacoma’s City Charter outlines the structure of municipal government and governance for our community.
Our current Charter was adopted by Tacoma residents in 1953. The City Charter requires the City Council to review the City Charter at least once every ten years, by appointing citizens to a Charter Review Committee. The role of the Charter Review Committee is to perform a comprehensive review of the City Charter and recommend amendments to the City Council. The City Council will then determine which recommended amendments to forward to the voters.
This is where dedicated individuals reflecting Tacoma’s diverse community are needed to step in and volunteer their time, knowledge, ideas, and experiences and serve on the Charter Review Committee.
Why Volunteer for the 2024 Charter Review Committee
Volunteering for the 2024 Charter Review Committee allows individuals a chance to join a diverse group of 15 residents, appointed by the City Council, to participate in a traditionally once-a-decade process to study the existing City Charter.
The Committee will have responsibility for conducting a deliberate, thoughtful, and inclusive review of the City Charter and recommending amendments to the Charter for consideration by the City Council. By dedicating your time and ideas, you can get a firsthand look at the constitution that guides your City and take part in the process of updating the City’s charter.
Expectations of Charter Review Committee Members
Each Charter Review is unique: the appointed Committee members decide how many meetings to have, what topics to focus on, how to gather feedback, and whether they need subcommittees to complete the work. Based on past reviews, volunteering for the Charter Review Committee is no small act of service.
During the 2014 Charter Review, Committee Members met for four months from January through April. The main Charter Review Committee met twice per week, usually in the evenings, and each member sat on at least two subcommittees. Based on these meetings alone (not including any town halls or special meetings) committee members may be expected to volunteer four to eight hours per week. In addition to meetings, they should be prepared to set aside time to review topics, draft reports, and prepare final recommendations; and, if the committee chooses to do so, meet with residents and community groups.