1 CHARTER ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS
Background
On February 17, 2026, the Fremont City Council approved a referral submitted by Vice Mayor Yajing Zhang to consider transforming the City of Fremont (“City”) from a general law city to a charter city and direct staff to initiate the process for preparing a new City Charter. On March 3, 2026, the Fremont City Council directed City staff to initiate a process for the development of a City Charter in time to place on the November 2026 election ballot. The Council approved a City Charter work plan that included the following topics for consideration.
The City Council’s approval of the work plan also established a seven-member, Mayor-appointed Charter Advisory Committee (“Committee”). Subsequently, on March 20, 2026, the City Council approved Mayor Raj Salwan’s appointment of seven community members to the Committee. The work plan contemplated six Committee meetings from March 23, 2026, to April 27, 2026, to formulate recommendations on the work plan topics for the City Council’s consideration.
Overview of Committee Actions/Recommendations
Over the course of its prescribed meetings, the Committee received staff presentations and discussed the work plan topics . Ultimately, the Committee reached a consensus on work plan topics and made the following recommendations:
• Government Structure
The Committee received a staff presentation regarding forms of government , Fremont’s current form of government, and comparative data regarding this topic.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION: Maintain a Council-Manager form of government (Charter City)
• Term Limits
The Committee received comparative data regarding term limits.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
o City Council Term Limits: Increase to three consecutive four-year terms
2 o Mayor Term Limits: Increase to three consecutive four-year terms
• Council Compensation and Office Support
The Committee received a staff presentation, including market analysis of Mayor/City Council compensation and what compensation adjustments are permitted under general law versus requiring a Charter.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
o Status: The Mayor and City Council to maintain their current part-time status. o Council Salary: Match the Health Benefit Allowance (HBA) of elected officials to that of the City’s full-time represented employees.
o Staffing Options: Allocate 1.5 employees to support the Mayor and City Council
• Executive Roles
The Committee received a staff presentation regarding appointment authority, including comparative data, Fremont’s current structure/practices, and executive recruiter perspectives.
COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION:
o Appointment Authority: City Manager maintains appointment authority subject to confirmation by the City Council.
Estimated Fiscal Impact
Description Cost
The estimated cost to place a proposed City Charter on the November 2026 ballot
$610,690 - $854,966
(one-time)
Total annual cost (estimate) of total compensation for the Mayor and Councilmembers, inclusive of a ‘full-time’ HBA scenario $486,472 per year* Total annual cost (estimate) of 1.5 employees directly supporting the Mayor and Councilmembers $253,655 per year*
*The net increase to the City’s annual, ongoing General Fund expenditure is estimated to be $459,014.
The City Council will hold three meetings (two public hearings and one final meeting) to review the Committee’s recommendations and consider submitting the proposed City Charter to Fremont voters in the upcoming November 3, 2026, election. The City Council’s first public hearing will take place during its regularly scheduled meeting on June 2, 2026.