Charter City
Consideration
Fairfax Town Council Meeting – May 7, 2025
Purpose of Discussion
Explore the potential transition to a Charter City
Provide direction to staff on whether to proceed
with further analysis and outreach
2 What is a
Charter City?
Operates under a city-specific
charter (local constitution)
Greater control over municipal
affairs (e.g., elections, taxation,
contracting)
Still subject to state/federal laws
on matters of statewide concern
3 Fairfax
Charter
City
Goals
4 As Expressed at the
2025 Strategic Planning
Retreat:
• Option to directly elect a mayor
• Flexibility with housing
regulations
• Potential for enhanced revenue
(e.g., local taxes)
Key
Benefits of
Becoming
a Charter
City
5 Local control over municipal
affairs
Ability to establish custom
election rules
Procurement w/o prevailing
wage, loss of State funds
Potential to enact local taxes
Limitations
on Housing
Autonomy
6 State housing laws (e.g., SB
1333, SB 1037) apply to
charter cities
Court cases (e.g., Anderson
v. San Jose) reinforce state
authority
Charter city status does not
exempt from RHNA or
housing element mandates
Legal &
Financial
Considerations
7 Legal ambiguity over “municipal
affairs” vs. “statewide concern”
Estimated costs: $50,000–
$100,000
Voter approval required to
adopt a charter
Difficult to amend once
adopted
Transition
Process
• Council initiates or community
petitions charter process
• Public engagement and hearings
• Charter drafting and legal review
• Ballot measure for voter approval
• Implementation of new charter
provisions
• Estimated Duration: ~18 months
8 Community
Engagement
Needs
9 Community
meetings/workshops
Informational materials
(newsletters, website,
social media)
Engagement with
stakeholders and
neighborhood groups
Recent Charter Attempts
Belvedere
• Spent roughly
$30,000 – the charter
was very narrow (only
to levy the real
property transfer tax).
• Voters did not
approve in 2023.
St. Helena
• Spent roughly
$80,000 – the charter
was very narrow (only
to levy the real
property transfer tax).
• Voters did not
approve in 2024.
10 Benicia
• Spent roughly
$50,000 – the charter
was very narrow (only
to levy the real
property transfer tax).
• Voters did not
approve in 2024.
Fiscal Impact
• Cost of drafting and elections:
~$50K–$100K
• Potential revenue: Real
Property Transfer Tax and others
11 Recommendation
• Discuss the information presented
• Provide direction on whether to
move forward with further analysis
and community outreach
12