Charter Amendment Ballot Measure(s) and
District Councilmember Policy
Sarah Johnson-Rios, Assistant City Manager
City Council, May 7, 2024
2City of Sunnyvale – Charter Amendments – May 2024
Charter Amendment and Council Policy Timeline
November January May June November
2023
2024
Council Approval
2024 Ballot Measure
Language &
Council Policy Change
Colleagues Memo
re: Charter
Amendments
Council Direction
1. 2024 Charter Amendments
2. District Councilmember Policy
3. Future Charter Review Committee
Committee Direction
Size, membership,
scope & schedule
Election
2024 Charter
Amendments
November 5
Committee
Formation & Work
Nov. 2024 – early 2026
3City of Sunnyvale – Charter Amendments – May 2024
Shall the Sunnyvale City Charter be amended to (1) eliminate the voter registration/citizenship requirement for members of all boards and commissions to remove barriers to volunteering; (2) change the required City Council meeting frequency from 2 meetings per month to at least 24 meetings per year, with no more than 6 weeks between meetings, to provide more
scheduling flexibility; and (3) replace gendered references throughout the charter with gender-neutral language?
Yes/No
Proposed 2024 Charter Amendment Ballot Language
4City of Sunnyvale – Charter Amendments – May 2024
• Councilmembers represent the entire City.
This includes the position of Mayor and Councilmembers elected by district.
• Encourages Councilmembers to:
Make decisions that are in the interests of the entire community; Fully engage regarding every issue before Council; and Allocate resources based on the needs of all residents in the City.
Proposed Council Policy Change
5City of Sunnyvale – Charter Amendments – May 2024
Alternatives
Recommendation
1. Charter Amendment Ballot Measure:
Adopts ballot question for one measure
Direction needed regarding arguments
2. Council Policy Change
3. Alternative Council direction
Staff Recommendation
Alternatives 1 and 2