The Fremont City Council appears poised to postpone a push for a city charter until 2028 after residents at a second public hearing said the effort is moving too quickly and could cost taxpayers more than expected.
The hearing on July 7 drew nearly 40 residents, many of whom told the council they felt inadequately informed and wanted more time for community engagement before a charter is placed on the ballot. Some speakers questioned spending in excess of $600,000 on a ballot measure they said is premature.
What would change under a charter
Under the proposed Fremont charter draft, several operational changes would shift how city departments and council business are handled. The draft would:
- Allow the city council to confirm appointments of department heads;
- Permit the council to change its own compensation by ordinance rather than other means;
- Give the mayor the ability to add agenda items before meetings begin;
- Allow the city attorney to hire and fire their own staff;
- Enable the council to hire or fire a staff member who would serve the council specifically, rather than the city at large.
The council also would be able to place charter amendments on the ballot, as would citizen groups that collect the required signatures.
Residents want a slower, more thorough process
Several longtime Fremont residents urged the council to extend the outreach timetable, saying the current work plan — roughly six weeks — is insufficient for a constitutional change in local governance.
“We are not just adding things. We’re casting off some controls that are left to us by the state. And those guardrails are important. Forcing a complex constitutional shift on the ballot, without months of dedicated outreach, will backfire because the citizens will feel that they haven’t had a chance to understand and participate.”
Speakers warned that losing state-mandated guardrails could have unintended consequences and stressed the importance of more community meetings and clearer information about costs and impacts.
Timeline and next steps
The council has scheduled a third public hearing for July 28, where it plans to continue collecting feedback and decide whether to move forward. City officials have indicated the council is likely to push the charter initiative to 2028, giving more time for outreach, analysis and community input.
The distinction between the two governance models is foundational: Fremont is currently a General Law city operating under provisions of the California Constitution. A charter city would operate under a locally adopted charter — effectively a municipal constitution — giving Fremont more control over local affairs but reducing the automatic applicability of certain state rules.
| Item | Current (General Law) | Proposed Charter Change |
|---|---|---|
| Department head appointments | Follow state and city practices | Council confirmation required |
| Council compensation | Subject to state rules | Changeable by ordinance |
| Mayor agenda powers | Limited | Mayor may add topics before meetings |
| City attorney staff | Managed under city employment rules | Attorney may hire/fire own staff |
The council must weigh the public scrutiny, potential cost and the desire for broader civic participation against arguments from charter proponents who say local control can allow Fremont to tailor rules to local needs.
Officials will take public input through the July 28 hearing and then determine whether to place a charter measure on a future ballot. For now, many residents who spoke asked the council to slow the process and expand outreach so voters better understand the trade-offs of shifting from General Law to charter status.
