Tacoma's "Constitutional Convention" Process Begins

The City of Tacoma Charter Review and the application process NOW UNDERWAY.

Chamber members and your associates are encouraged to apply by submitting the application located HERE.

APPLICATION DEADLINE DECEMBER 4.

Each Councilmember gets one person and members of the Council’s Government Performance & Finance Committee (GPFC) get six to be appointed in January.  GPFC is composed of Councilmembers Lonergan, Campbell, Thoms and Mayor Strickland. (Alt: Councilmember Ibsen).

1.    The Charter Review Committee will consist of 15 citizens of the City of Tacoma, to be appointed by the City Council in the following manner: The Mayor and each City Council member will recommend one person for appointment to the committee. The GPFC recommends to the City Council the appointment of six persons to the committee, to reflect a cross section of the citizens of the City. The chairperson of the committee will be selected by the Mayor.

2.    The duty of committee will be to review the existing Charter of the City of Tacoma and make such recommendations for change as the committee may deem necessary and proper in order to amend the provisions of the existing City Charter with reference to improving the mode and manner of operation and efficiency in conducting the affairs of the City. The City Council reserves the right to furnish to the Charter Review Committee certain guidelines with reference to the scope of the work.

3.    The committee will submit its recommendations and findings to the City Council on or before May 6, 2014, so that adequate and appropriate provisions can be made for the holding of a special municipal election in November 2014, in the event that the City Council determines that recommendations for revisions or changes should be submitted to the electorate.

4.    The City Council expresses its intent that the members of the committee will be appointed in January 2014, and that appointed members will thereafter serve until such time as the final reports and recommendations are made on or before May 6, 2014, at which time the committee will be dissolved without further action of the City Council.

The City Charter review process is not without consequence. At the last Charter review, 12 amendments were proposed and all were passed by the electorate.  The Charter is the constitution of the City and will determine how the City is governed and administered for the next decade.