Fremont City Council Meeting: 02/17/26 07:00 PM
3300 Capitol Avenue Div/Dept: City Council
Fremont, CA 94538 Category: Council Referrals & Appointments
SCHEDULED
Sponsors:
COUNCIL STAFF REPORT (ID # 5649) DOC ID: 5649
Updated: 2/13/2026 12:52 PM by Dina Lewis Page 1
VICE MAYOR YAJING ZHANG REFERRAL - Initiate Council-Drafted Charter Process to Make Fremont a Charter City and Place a Proposed Charter on the November 3, 2026 Ballot (Accelerated Schedule)
Contact Persons:
Name: Yajing Zhang
Title: Vice Mayor
Div/Dept: City Council
Phone: 510-284-4083
E-Mail: [email protected]
Vice Mayor Zhang Referral: Initiate Council-Drafted Charter Process to Make Fremont a Charter City and Place a Proposed Charter on the November 3, 2026 Ballot (Accelerated Schedule).
Background: Fremont is one of California's largest, most diverse, and fastest-growing cities. Transitioning from a general law city to a charter city will provide Fremont greater flexibility, stronger local control over municipal affairs, and the ability to modernize governance, streamline procurement, enhance project delivery, and tailor administrative and electoral systems to local needs.
California’s Constitution and state law provide multiple methods to propose a city charter.
Because time is of the essence, I will propose two options.
Option A) Well- thought timeline with goals of actions towards the Nov 3 2026 Ballot (Accelerated Schedule)
Option B) Council could begin with a study session on charter options and governance models, then direct staff to return with a recommended workplan and timeline targeting the November 2028 general election, avoiding the added cost of a standalone special election in 2017
Option A) details: directs staff to proceed under the city council-drafted charter method, under which the City Council retains authority to develop the proposed charter for voter consideration, supported by structured community input through an advisory committee. • The City Council retains full authority to draft the charter.
• A Mayor-appointed 7-member advisory committee provides structured input and community representation. The advisory committee needs to follow Brown Act. • The final charter is submitted to Fremont voters for adoption.
This referral formally initiates the drafting and adoption process.
Proposal: Direct staff to initiate a City Council drafted charter process inclusive of the following components:
Council Staff Report (ID # 5649) Meeting of February 17, 2026 Updated: 2/13/2026 12:52 PM by Dina Lewis Page 2
1. March 3, 2026 Return: Implementing Resolution and Workplan
Return to City Council on March 3, 2026 with:
• Implementing Resolution (Exhibit A sample attached): establishing a 7-member Charter Advisory Committee appointed by the Mayor and ratified by the City Council, advisory only, with clear scope, deliverables, meeting transparency expectations, and sunset date.
• Charter workplan: project governance and staffing plan; recommended use (if any) of outside charter counsel; public outreach approach (including multilingual access); critical-path schedule aligned to statutory notice/hearing/waiting periods, etc.
• Mayor to announce the City is accepting applications for any City committee and to receive application and file a written application for appointment with the City Clerk.
2. Advisory Committee Formation Deadline (Time is of the Essence)
• March 10, 2026 – Appoint Charter Advisory Committee Members by mayor and approved by the council members, or on later than March 17.
3. Advisory Committee Charge (High Level)
Direct that the Advisory Committee review and provide written recommendations to Council on:
• Strong Mayor governance models (variations).
• Hybrid governance models (variations).
• Meeting structure.
• Checks/guardrails: accountability, transparency, and non-interference principles. • Term limits options and considerations.
• Council compensation considerations (charter context). • A recommended Council office staffing framework, including what constitutes an adequate level of staffing support for the Mayor and Councilmembers and principles for scaling staffing over time (workload triggers, shared vs. dedicated staff, service expectations, and budget accountability).
4. Advisory Committee Deliverables (Accelerated)
• Interim Recommendations Memorandum due: April 28, 2026. Final Recommendations Report due: May 12, 2026.
5. Charter Drafting Direction (High Level)
Direct the City Attorney (with outside charter counsel as needed) to prepare a proposed charter that clearly addresses, at minimum:
Council Staff Report (ID # 5649) Meeting of February 17, 2026 Updated: 2/13/2026 12:52 PM by Dina Lewis Page 3
• Governance structure options (strong mayor + city administrator and hybrid alternatives for Council consideration).
• Accountability structure for top administration and department leadership. • Budget and fiscal authority framework.
• Checks and balances.
• Legislative branch functioning.
• Term limits and transition concepts.
• Council compensation authority considerations.
• Council office staffing framework options (adequacy standards and scaling principles).
6. Public Process, Ballot Preparation, and Schedule
Direct staff to include in the workplan a proposed schedule that positions the City for final Council action in June 2026 (with the third-week July meeting held only as contingency), and ensures sufficient buffer for ballot materials and filing before August closure.
ATTACHMENTS:
• DRAFT - Resolution_Mayor-Appointed Charter Advisory Committee
RECOMMENDATION: Direct the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk to immediately commence the Council-drafted charter process to place a proposed Fremont City Charter on the November 3, 2026 ballot; and direct staff to return to Council on March 3, 2026 with (1) an implementing resolution establishing a 7-member Mayor-appointed Charter Advisory Committee (advisory only) and (2) a detailed Charter Workplan.