Editor:
Voters will have an opportunity to vote for a revised and updated Sweet Home City Charter in the May 19 Primary Election.
A committee was appointed by the mayor early in 2025. Periodically, a committee is appointed to go over the current charter and make recommendations to City Council for
possible improvements, updates, and/or changes to some practices. The last time the charter was updated or changed was 2015.
The committee spent many hours and several months deliberating on language and proposed changes. After the committee finished their work, their recommendations were sent to City Council members, who studied and discussed the proposed changes.
Several of the committee’s recommendations were approved by the City Council and are now on the ballot for approval by voters in the May election.
The amendment to the charter can’t be enacted unless approved by the voters.
Here are a few of the proposed changes that I think will resonate with citizens:
- If a vacancy occurs in an elected office, such as mayor or City Council, during the first half of their term, the new charter would require that vacancy to be filled by the next highest vote-getter in the previous election, instead of being chosen by the City Council. This new process gives weight to the voice and will of the voters when filling vacancies.
- The new charter would create an absolute right for citizens to speak via a public comment period at regular City Council meetings. Old charter language is silent on the subject. Currently, the council determines IF there will be a comment period for citizens, as no charter rule has required it before.
- New charter language would require at least four “yes” votes to make land-use decisions, increase utility rates, enact emergency ordinance provisions or hire or fire people in appointed positions. No longer could three affirmative votes decide such issues. It would also establish a lower “emergency quorum” in the event that there were several simultaneous vacancies on the City Council that needed to be filled by appointment.
- It would also add a section on ethics and meeting attendance requirements. It would change the effective date of term of office to the first of January.
Many of the changes to the new charter are housekeeping changes and provide language
modernization and a more readable and searchable format for the charter. There are also clarifications as to who may sign checks, when ordinances must be signed and routine issues of that nature, and it clarifies the composition of City Council to “six councilors and a mayor.”
You can find the Proposed Revised Charter on the City of Sweet Home web page. It has its own quick link “Charter” icon at the lower right corner of the home page.
I served on the committee along with five other citizens with varied backgrounds (Including Angie Yon, Mike Reynolds, Jeff Parker, Lisa Gourley and City Council member Josh Thorstad). City Attorney Blair Larsen and Deputy City Manager Cecily Pretty attended most meetings to offer their insight and expertise to operational and legal issues as we worked through the Charter.
I hope you will join me in voting YES on the Sweet Home City Charter Amendment.
Gary Jarvis
Sweet Home