A City Charter is, in essence, the City’s “Constitution" and lays out the fundamental governing structure and principles upon which the City must function.
The California Constitution gives municipalities the power to become charter cities, giving them greater local authority over municipal affairs. In contrast, non-charter cities are governed by the State’s General Law. Currently, 121 out of 482 California cities (~25%) are chartered, and this number includes the City of Huntington Beach.
The City Charter is available at https://library.qcode.us/lib/huntington_beach_ca/pub/municipal_code/item/charter.
Parts of the City Charter may be periodically amended as systems, culture, and the community's stance on local governance evolve over time. In September 2021, City Council approved the formation of a Charter Revision Committee to conduct a systematic review of the Charter. While the Committee is not obligated to recommend any revisions during their review, any revisions that are identified will be submitted to the City Council for consideration. Revisions that are approved by the City Council must be drafted as a ballot measure for an upcoming municipal election and approved by a majority of voters, in order to be incorporated into our Charter.
The Committee is comprised of seven members who have been individually appointed by City Council Members.
Committee Member | Appointed By |
Cynthia Benton | Council Member Bolton |
Casey McKeon | Council Member Peterson |
Scott Miller | Council Member Kalmick |
Damon Mircheff | Council Member Moser |
Leonie Mulvihill | Council Member Carr |
Charles Ray | Council Member Posey |
Dianne Thompson | Council Member Delgleize |
Staff Liaisons | Title |
Catherine Jun | Assistant to the City Manager |
Raphael Sonenshein | Charter Consultant |
The Charter Revision Committee generally meets at the Civic Center (Room B-7) on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 6:00PM.
For more information, please contact Staff Liaison, Catherine Jun at [email protected] or (714) 536-5579.