Council Sets Feb. 25 Charter Plan Election
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A special election Feb. 25 will determine whether the city should switch from general law to charter status, a move that officials said would give the local government more autonomy from the state. Most cities are general law cities, governed by state law, while charter cities have greater autonomy through locally created laws.
A 10-member citizens’ committee has studied the issue since July, and has concluded that Westminster could save money on purchasing and contracts under a charter status, which might also eliminate some costly state requirements.
Officials estimate the savings to be $600,000 to $900,000 a year if the charter proposal is enacted by voters. The charter document is available for review at City Hall, 8200 Westminster Blvd.
“I believe it’s a good document,” said Gary Soverns, a charter committee member. “We’ve worked hard to get accountability in city government and oversight in city expenses.”
The cost of the special election will be about $60,000, which brings the total expense for the charter project to about $100,000, officials said.
During its meeting Tuesday, the City Council unanimously approved the election plan.
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