charter review

Elected vs Appointed Police Chief: A Subject That Comes Up Regularly

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Santa Clara has a decades long history of going back and forth on the issue of elected versus appointed police chief and what serves the City best.

Since Santa Clara approved its charter in 1952, the City has, with one exception, had an elected police chief. That exception was in 1953 when voters changed the charter to have an appointed chief. Two years later they changed their minds, although the reason appears to be lost to living memory. However, the discussion has … Read more

Charter Review Committee Set, Council ‘Squirrels Away’ Money To Support It

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The Santa Clara Council appointed members to the Charter Review Committee and launched a pilot program to deal with illegal street vendors.

The Santa Clara City Council has appointed a Charter Review Committee to consider allowing voters to decide whether to appoint the City’s police chief and city clerk. At its Tuesday night meeting, the Council approved selections for the committee and directed its scope of work. That scope included adding possible qualifications for the positions should … Read more