From: Lara Weisiger
To: CITYCOUNCIL-List
Subject: 7/21/2026 Item 7-B Additional Information
Date: Monday, July 13, 2026 3:28:00 PM
Attachments: April 2 2019 Minutes Excerpt.pdf
May 5 2020 Minutes Excerpt.pdf
Hi Everyone,
I received a request for additional background information regarding the 2019 Charter subcommittee. A list the subcommittee presented on April 2, 2019 is attached to the July 21, 2026 staff report. The section of April 2, 2019 minutes addressing the Charter subcommittee matter is attached.
After being announced at City Council meetings on May 21, June 4 and June 18, 2019, the subcommittee held workshops on June 26 and 27, 2019. Here is link to the agenda item which allowed a Council majority to attend the workshops:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=3987688&GUID=222763CF-609F- 472C-838C-4D9AFE95C30F&Options=&Search=
Here is a link to the webpage related to June 26 and 27, 2019 workshops:
https://www.alamedaca.gov/RESIDENTS/City-Charter-Workshops
A subcommittee staff report regarding potential measures was presented at the May 5, 2020 Council meeting and is available online here:
https://alameda.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=4388168&GUID=1B62D434-CF67- 44E6-B982-2C68A1455906&Options=&Search=&FullText=1
The section of the May 5, 2020 minutes addressing potential measures is also attached. Other staff reports related to measures placed on the ballot in 2020 and 2022 are not being provided since they are not relevant to Item 7-B regarding the City Auditor and City Treasurer.
Respectfully,
Lara
From the April 2, 2019 minutes:
(19-208) Review and Discuss Charter Amendment Timeline and Issues Proposed by the Council Subcommittee.
Vice Mayor Knox White and Councilmember Daysog gave a brief presentation on the list of items.
In response to Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft’s inquiry, Vice Mayor Knox White stated the timeline can be discussed separately or congruently with the topics; Councilmembers run for office every two years and timing can be difficult; outlined the upcoming primary election ballot costs and potential dates; stated the process is a rough draft for updating the charter.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired if the League of Women Voters (LWV) has bee n notified, to which Vice Mayor Knox White responded in the affirmative.
The City Clerk noted there are prohibitions to the March 2020 election; C ouncil pay and the Auditor and Treasurer positions are among the prohibited items, which would push to the November 2020 election.
Councilmember Vella stated Section 2- 9 relates to pregnancy; if placed on bed rest, Alameda Hospital does not have the capacity for labor and delivery; therefore, a pregnant Councilmember would be forced to leave the Island causing an effective vacancy ; requiring Council approval for pregnancy related items is demeaning; expressed concern in relation to the Auditor and Treasurer positions not being held to the same standards as Council; s tated maternity leave for C ouncilmembers at 30 consecutive days requires permission, and will be required of her over the su mmer months; expressed concern about Section 2-14 not applying to the Auditor and Treasurer positions; outlined Section 7-3 as an item to be discussed as a community; if the positions of Auditor and Treasurer continue to exist and receive benefits , inconsistent items apply to Council and not the Auditor or Treasurer; discussed Section 8-1 regarding City Attorney hiring requirements and limitations; requested bifurcation of C harter items to be discusse d with different interested parties; stated the process should be made public; the Charter has not been updated for some time, the current update process is due.
Councilmember Oddie s tated so me i tems t o update can be co mpartmentalized and reviewed together; expressed support for the process.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft requested the LWV be included in the subcommittee conversations; inquired if paid signature gatherers can be reviewed.
The City
Clerk responded that the City C harter does trump the E lections Code, but the issue would need to be reviewed.
Vice Mayor K nox White stated there ar e r estrictions that ca n be adopted, but so me methods cannot be stopped.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated it is a good time to review the City Charter; learning from other cities will be key; the City Attorney hiring requirements can be reviewed; discussed the Measure A process; expressed support of looking at removing the Auditor and Treasurer positions; stated the pregnancy provisions under the Charter need to be updated; requested more refinement to the Charter updates.
Vice Mayor Knox White outlined the items to bring back to Council for discussion.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft urged the LWV involvement.
Councilmember Daysog expressed support for Councilmember’s Oddie and Vella breakdown to bifurcate topics or put them into “bucket lists ;” suggested members of the LWV assist Council in finding which items to place with others.
Vice Mayor Knox White inquired how the Measure A item will be handled.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft responded that item should be placed at the top of a discussion list; discussed Measure A issues related to housing.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated that he will strike any B oard and Commission updates; Council pay will stay on as a discussion item; paid signature gathering will move to another location, not the City Charter; outlined the general timeline.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft requested Vice Mayor Knox White check -in the LWV and set -up a meeting.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated that he has met with the LWV.
Councilmember Vella requested any meeting with the LWV be agendized so that Councilmembers who wish to attend may do so; requested a staff presentation related to paid signature gatherers and what other cities have implemented.
Councilmember Oddie stated that he too would like LWV meetings agendized so that he may attend.
From the May 5, 2020 minutes:
(20-293) Recommendation to Provide Direction on Potential Measures Amending the City Charter.
Vice Mayor Knox White gave a brief presentation.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether Council is voting on providing a raise in Council pay.
Vice Mayor Knox White responded in the negative; stated the proposal will allow a future Council to vote on a raise after January 1, 2023, which is after current Councilmember finishes their current terms.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the item goes to the voters, to which Vice Mayor Knox White responded voters will set the maximum; stated the result will not go into effect until January 1, 2023.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the items are proposed ballot measures.
Vice Mayor Knox White responded in the affirmative; stated Council would be directing staff to draft ballot proposals to come back in June or July for further Council discussion and determination about whether or not to place a measure on the ballot; then, the voters will vote to determine whether or not the Council should have the flexibility to give themselves a raise in the future; noted there has been strong support for the proposal; stated Council pay could be a limiting factor in attracting candidates who may not have the wherewithal to self-fund being a volunteer for the City.
In response to Councilmember Oddie’s inquiry regarding clarifying health benefits, Vice Mayor Knox White stated there is currentl y no language related to health benefits; the Charter strictly states members make $50 per meeting and does include health benefits, technology, or car allowances; previous Councilmembers have funded their family health coverage; the proposal clarifies that Councilmembers would be able to collect health benefits, but not as family coverage.
Councilmember Oddie inquired whether the only people being removed from eligibility are family members of the Councilmember.
Vice Mayor Knox White responded in the af firmative; stated language can be changed; noted previous versions discussed the City Auditor and Treasurer compensation being set by Council; the proposal does not change said provision.
Councilmember Daysog provided Alameda County Council pay data from transparent California; stated there is a considerable discrepancy in the way Council is paid relative to nearby cities; noted members of the public have expressed concern about Council pay related to the COVID -19 environment; expressed support for Counci l discussion of the item at the current meeting; stated a decision does not need to be made, but the discussion can begin to inform the public about the direction of Council pay; the discussion is occurring in a vacuum and other Charter discussion items will be had in the coming days; each Councilmember should place the item in the context of discussions of related Charter items.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated some Council comments may also relate to the proposed Measure 2; completed the presentation.
Councilmember Daysog stated Council should consider having Councilmembers represent districts; more and more cities are being pressured by legal challenges and are turning to district elections; district elections can also be a form of campaign finance reform; noted campaigning in a district election could cost less depending on the formation of districts; stated San Leandro holds district elections, but candidates must be voted on citywide.
Councilmember Oddie inquired whether the last two items will be considered.
Vice Mayor Knox White responded that he did not intend for Council to consider the items at this meeting; stated Council can decide.
Councilmember Daysog stated the direction provided at the previous Council meeting resulted in whittling down the list for discussion.
Public Comment Read Into Record:
Urged Council to postpone discussion until after shelter in place order; stated letters received represent hundreds of Alameda citizens; discussed living conditions under the pandemic; noted citizens cannot engage in important issues: Janet Gibson, Alameda.
Stated that she has submitted a letter; urged Council to postpone discussion of the item until after social distancing for a discussion in an open setting: Patricia Gannon, Alameda.
Councilmember Daysog stated the data shows Council as being underpaid; a reasonable resident will come to the same conclusion; political football occurs anytime a pay increase is requested; expressed concern about other items to be discussed as an unwelcom e distraction while tackling other Charter related items; expressed support for postponing the discussion until the special meetings have occurred.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the Council is not voting to amend the Charter; Council will vote on whether or not to allow the voters to amend the Charter; government still needs to move forward and function; people are adjusting and adapting to a new reality ; social distancing will still need to be practiced for some time; the Governor’s order list items such as the abilit y to participate via internet in Council meetings from home and allows comments to be heard; new ways to connect are learned and adapted; noted the United States Supreme Court has started to live-stream meetings for the first time; stated people have more time on their hands; more young people are politically active; noted there will be a presidential election in November; stated there have been more opportunities for connection; that she hopes to continue some of the new interactions; the City Prosecutor language is important for residents; City Prosecutor cases are related to quality of life; expressed support for clean-up language and for waiting to form a community task forces.
Councilmember Vella stated the shelter in place has impacted a variety of people differently.
***
Councilmember Daysog moved approval of hearing the remaining agenda items, with continuing the meeting until 11:45 p.m.
Vice Mayor Knox White seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote:
Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.
***
Councilmember Vella stated some people might have more time due to unfortunately being unemployed; expressed concern for considering an increase in Council pay, regardless of data, when many are out work; stated many have less time on their hands; outlined her schedule changes due to COVID-19; stated individuals are balancing work, home and childcare and do not have the ability to pay attention or participate in Council meetings; many are unaware of Council meetings; expressed support for cleanup language related to meeting access and absences; noted some members of Council are Kaiser participants and would have to travel to another city for emergency hospital treatments potentially jeopardizing their Council seat based on Charter provisions; expressed concern about the digital divide; stated meaningful participation may not occur online; a lot of people are not online; the City’s system has had glitches; Charter conversations should be published well in advance in newspapers with information on how to access meetings digitally; the meeting should be published across multiple platforms; Council needs to be thoughtful about connecting with people to ensure knowledge ab out meeting topics; noted the Council can move forward at any time to recommend a review of Council pay; expressed concern about the timing of the discussion; stated the conversation should occur in the future; that she agrees Council is underpaid; she has had to pay for childcare to attend meetings; stated the conversation should occur in a year or two; not providing healthcare to families seems to be discriminatory; healthcare may be the only benefit for Councilmembers; better clarification of publicized parameters needs to happen for Measure 2; Measure 2 is an important change that needs to happen, but the item needs to be better articulated to the general public; expressed support for changing the language related to remote access and absences; stated the language is outdated; expressed support for waiting until Census results are calculated to discuss district elections; stated the Census can better inform the conversation; noted that she will not be able to participate in Thursday’s meeting.
Councilmember Oddie stated Councilmembers are focused on the agenda items because it is part of their job; the public is not focused on agenda items; the public is focused on health, safety, children, education, and financials; Council should pay close attention to what the public is focused on; expressed concern about the perception of Council jamming items through; stated Council is not amending the Charter, but is narrowing the focus; Council is setting up the framework of what type of Charter amendments to direc t staff to bring back; Council is voting on a process or parameters for the future; expressed concern about asking the public to change something that has been around for 50 years; stated Councilmembers do not perform for the pay or healthcare, instead they perform for love of the City; noted some businesses in Alameda are going to have to close; businesses are worried about financial stress; there are valid reasons to consider increasing Council pay at a later time; expressed concern about the increase in pay causing further CalPERS and pension costs issues; stated the optics of Council asking for parameters of more money are not good; stated there are other City staff more deserving of a raise; the healthcare aspect for Council is discriminatory against wo men and families; there needs to be more parameters around the City Prosecutor item; expressed concern about the abuse of power related to the City Prosecutor; stated political conflicts can manifest into something bad; expressed support for Councilmember Vella’s comments related to meeting access and absences; stated the cleanup language is broad; expressed support for gender neutral language; expressed concern about unintended consequences and fractionalization.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated it is import ant to recognize all items on the agenda have gone through public hearings which were well attended and informational; expressed concern about the suggestion that the topics are being held late at night in a rush; stated Council is not approving the Counci l pay increase for themselves; should current Councilmembers be re-elected at the same time Charter amendments pass, then, a future raise may be obtained; noted that he is neutral on the topic of healthcare; stated Council should consider the cost; there are City staff members that work more hours and do not receive healthcare.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that she agrees with the comments related to healthcare; the cost for certain health premiums may be the same for one to two members; noted the option to add family members is possible; stated Council is not voting to raise their own current pay; the raise in pay will help level the playing field for future Councilmembers; Council does need to consider succession planning; noted the start times of upcoming Special Meetings; stated the last conversations will not be the last on these topics.
Councilmember Daysog proposed approval of postponing a decision on the Council pay item until the first meeting in June; stated that he needs more information from the meeting Thursday.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether Councilmember Daysog is proposing a motion, to which Councilmember Daysog responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Daysog moved approval of postponing a decision on the Council pay item until th e first meeting in June; stated public testimony has been taken; noted the discussion scheduled for Thursday will get in the way of the decision.
Councilmember Vella stated Council needs to make a separate decision about when items will go on the ballot; expressed support for moving certain items forward for discussion without necessarily determining what is to be placed on the ballot and for a conversation related to political strategy of timelines for ballot consideration at a separate meeting; stated that she finds attending multiple evening meetings in one week difficult; expressed support for alternate meeting times.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated the night of the two special meetings had previously been held for budget sessions; inquired whether Councilmember Vella is requesting to have further discussion related to the sequencing of putting items on the ballot.
Councilmember Vella responded in the affirmative; stated Council needs to have a thoughtful conversation around combinations, timing and what is desired for voter consideration; there could be a number of different items on a ballot; expressed concern about giving voters too much to consume on one ballot; expressed support for consideration being given to which items are placed on which ballot.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether a discussion on timing should be included on the first meeting in June or whether a special meeting would be preferred.
Councilmember Vella responded the first meeting in June if there is room on the agenda; expressed support for understanding what is being moved forward; stated that she would like Census information prior to district election discussions.
***
(20-294) Councilmember Vella moved approval of providing an additional 3 minutes for Council discussion.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated that an extension to October for the Census has been requested by Congresswoman Lee, but the result of the request is unknown; stated the Census data may not be known this calendar year.
Councilmember Vella expressed support for narrowing the conversation down to ensure people understand what is being considered when.
Vice Mayor Knox White seconded the motion, which carried by the following roll call vote:
Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.
***
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the items can be placed on the first meeting in June.
The City Manager responded that he does not know what is set for the first June meeting.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated the first meeting in June is going to occur around possible changes; the second meeting in June will allow for a month to provide further direction for items to be brought back in July and allow for the community to understand what is happening with shelter-in-place.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft proposed placeholders for both June Council meetings; stated it is helpful to break up topics to not cover too much at one time and allows for discussions to finish earlier.
Councilmember Vella expressed support for a further discussion on the items that are to be brought forward, with a second discussion on timing; noted there are a number of different elections between now and 2023; expressed support for determining the elections and timelines; expressed concern about staff time needed to place five Charter items on a ballot; stated the second Council meeting in June should consider when regular elections would occur, plus the cost and details of a special election, should it be needed.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated there is an advantage to having more significant items on the November election to assure a good voter turnout; inquired what would be heard at the first Council meeting in June.
Councilmember Daysog responded that he proposes Council postpone the decision until June, generally; stated by postponing the decision, no decision should occur at the current meeting regarding Council pay.
Councilmember Vella inquired whether consideration of items can be dropped; proposed elimination of considering family health care.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft expressed support.
Vice Mayor Knox White expressed support.
Councilmember Vella stated that she would like clarification made that the topic of district elections would drop until the Census results are confirmed.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated there is no proposal to move forward with district elections at this time.
Councilmember Vella stated that she would like to direct the delay of a task force until after the Census.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft stated both task forces are off the table; stated Measures 1 and 2 are only being considered.
Councilmember Vella stated that she would like to eliminate the family health care conversation from Measure 1; expressed support for clarifying the parameters around the City Prosecutor; noted the conversation at the meeting tomorrow can inform parameters, if needed.
Vice Mayor Knox White stated the first meeting in June should discuss which topics will move forward; the second meeting will discuss how to package the items moving forward.
Vice Mayor Knox White moved approval of moving forward future discussion of Measure 1 without health benefits and Measure 2; recommended Councilmembers who wish to clarify the language around the City Prosecutor provide language and input to the City Attorney to have conversation in June; and bringing those back for further conversation in June along with whatever moves forward on Wednesday and Thursday.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft inquired whether the motion includes the addition of any other clarifying language that staff identifies, to which Vice Mayor Knox White responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Oddie stated that he could second the motion; inquired whether Council is providing direction on Measure 2 language coming back.
Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft responded in the affirmative.
Councilmember Oddie stated that he is flexible between the first and second meeting in June.
Councilmember Oddie seconded the motion, with the caveat that the Council meets back in Chambers, but the provision is not mandatory.
Councilmember Vella stated that she supports the motion.
Councilmember Vella requested clarification that the second meeting in June will also include a conversation related to the cost and timing of having various measures at off - elections.
Vice Mayor Knox White responded in the affirmative.
On the call for the question, the motion carried by the following roll call vote:
Councilmembers Daysog: Aye; Knox White: Aye; Oddie: Aye; Vella: Aye; and Mayor Ezzy Ashcraft: Aye. Ayes: 5.