2024 City Charter Review Process
Details and full language of proposed amendments to the City Charter, which will appear on the November 5, 2024, ballot, are available online at www.cityoftacoma.org/CharterReview
The City Attorney's Office represents the City in its day-to-day operations. The City Attorney acts as legal adviser to the City Council, the City Manager, and all officers, departments and boards of the City. The department has four divisions: Civil, Prosecution, Labor Relations, and the City Clerk's Office.
Civil Division
The Civil Division is responsible for providing legal counsel and representation to the City's elected and appointed officials. It serves the public interest by providing these clients with the affordable, high quality legal advice and representation that they need to best achieve their policies and goals. The division maintains two primary offices, at the Tacoma Municipal Building and at Tacoma Public Utilities.
The attorneys in the City Attorney's Office represent the City of Tacoma, and therefore cannot give legal advice to residents or other individuals or entities.
City Clerk's Office
The City Clerk oversees the City Council's agenda and business meetings, retains the official record of all formal meetings of the City Council, acts as the custodian of the City seal and official City records, and codifies all Ordinances into the Municipal Code. The City Clerk also serves as the City's municipal election official and assists in the initiative and referendum process.
Labor Relations
The Labor Relations Division negotiates and administers all labor contracts on behalf of the City and serves as the primary point of contact for union business representatives for collective bargaining units.
Prosecution Division
The Prosecution Division is responsible for the prosecution of all violations of City criminal codes before the Tacoma Municipal Court and advises City departments charged with enforcement.
The Prosecution Division represents the interests of the public as a whole and does not represent individuals. The attorneys and staff employed by the office are strictly prohibited from providing any legal advice to private individuals in any criminal matter.