HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-08-12 CRC Agenda Package
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**POST-MEETING AGENDA**
Date:Wednesday, August 12, 2026
Time:6:00 p.m.
Location:City Hall, Bldg. A, Executive Conference Room #103
276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA
Charter Review Commission Regular Meeting
______________________________________________________________________________
In-Person Public Comments: Join us for the Charter Review Commission meeting at the time and
location specified on this agenda to make your comments. Each person will be allotted three
minutes to address the Commission, unless otherwise adjusted by the presiding officer.
Electronic Public Comments: At www.chulavistaca.gov/boardmeetings, locate this meeting and
click on the comment bubble icon. Select the item and click on "Leave Comment." The deadline to
submit e-comments or any comments emailed to CRC@chulavistaca.gov will be noon on the day
of the meeting.
Accessibility: Individuals with disabilities are invited to request modifications or accommodations in
order to access and/or participate in a Charter Review Commission meeting by contacting the
commission staff at CRC@chulavistaca.gov (California Relay Service is available for the hearing
impaired by dialing 711) at least forty-eight hours in advance of the meeting.
We encourage community participation—sign up at www.ChulaVistaCA.gov/Boards to receive
email notifications when agendas are available.
Pages
1.CALL TO ORDER
2.ROLL CALL
Commissioners Buddingh, Castillo, Keyes, Vice-Chair Disharoon, and Chair
Lopez.
3.PUBLIC COMMENTS
The public may address the Commission on any subject matter within the
Commission’s jurisdiction that is not listed as an item on the agenda. State law
generally prohibits the Committee from discussing or taking action on any issue
not included on the agenda. The Committee may schedule the topic for future
discussion or refer the matter to staff.
4.ACTION ITEMS
Action items are considered individually by the Commission and are expected to
elicit discussion and deliberation.
4.1 Approval of Meeting Minutes 4
4.2 Update from Lobbying Ordinance Charter Requirement Ad Hoc Sub-
Committee
Consists of Chair Lopez and Commissioner Buddingh.
4.3 Creation of an Ad Hoc Subcommittee and Work Plan for the Proposed
City Attorney Charter Amendment
Formation of an Ad Hoc Subcommittee consisting of no more than two
members to develop a work plan for drafting a proposed Charter
amendment regarding the process for filling a City Attorney vacancy.
4.4 Authorize the Chair to Work with Staff to Finalize and Submit the Annual
Activities Report for Fiscal Year 2025-26
7
4.5 Election of Chair and Vice Chair for Fiscal Year 2026 - 2027
4.6 Discussion and Potential Action Regarding Proposed Charter
Amendment Measure
8
Commission to discuss whether and how to review the proposed Charter
Amendment Measure submitted by the Laborers' International Union of
North America (LIUNA) Local 89 for consideration on a future ballot, and
to determine any potential action. To discuss and take action as
appropriate.
5.PRESENTATIONS
The following item(s) will be presentations given to the Commission. Action on
these item(s) is typically limited to the Commission receiving the presentation
and providing direction or feedback to staff, as appropriate.
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda Page 2 of 58
5.1 Report from City Attorney on Potential Limits on Independent
Expenditures
City Attorney to share research and report back to the Charter Review
Commission on findings on whether City of Chula Vista can impose
potential limits on independent expenditures.
5.2 Report from City Attorney on Potential Charter Amendments Related to
the Planning and Development Process
City Attorney to share research and report back to the Charter Review
Commission on whether any charter amendments related to the planning
and development process are appropriate.
6.STAFF COMMENTS
7.CHAIR'S COMMENTS
8.COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS
9.ADJOURNMENT
to the regular meeting on November 11, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.
Materials provided to the Charter Review Commission relating to any open-
session item on this agenda are available for public review by contacting the
City Attorney's Office at CRC@chulavistaca.gov.
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda Page 3 of 58
1
City of Chula Vista
Special Charter Review Commission Meeting
MINUTES
March 25, 2026, 5:00 p.m.
City Hall, Bldg. A, Executive Conference Room #103
276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA
Present: Commissioner Castillo, Commissioner Keyes, Chair Lopez,
Commissioner Buddingh
Absent: Vice Chair Disharoon
Also Present: City Attorney Verdugo, Board Secretary Montalvo, Board
Secretary Sauthier Callahan
Minutes are prepared and ordered to correspond to the agenda.
_____________________________________________________________________
1. CALL TO ORDER
A regular meeting of the Charter Review Commission of the City of Chula Vista
was called to order at 5:13 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
Secretary Montalvo called the roll.
3. ACTION ITEMS
3.1 Approval of Meeting Minutes
Moved by Commissioner Buddingh
Seconded by Commissioner Keyes
Commission to approve the minutes dated February 11, 2026.
Page 4 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
2026-03-25 Charter Review Commission Special Meeting Minutes
2
The motion was carried by the following vote:
Yes (4): Commissioner Castillo, Commissioner Keyes, Chair Lopez, and
Commissioner Buddingh
Result:Carried (4 to 0)
3.2 Written Communications
Moved by Commissioner Buddingh
Seconded by Commissioner Castillo
Approval of Excused Absence, Commissioner Disharoon requesting from
the March 25, 2026, Charter Review Commission Special meeting.
The motion was carried by the following vote:
Yes (4): Commissioner Castillo, Commissioner Keyes, Chair Lopez, and
Commissioner Buddingh
Result:Carried (4 to 0)
3.3 Creation of Lobbying Ordinance Charter Requirement Ad Hoc
Subcommittee and Work Plan
City Attorney Verdugo provided guidance on steps to create the
subcommittee.
Chair Lopez shared he would like himself and Commissioner Buddingh to
serve on the subcommittee.
Commissioner Buddingh shared he would like for there to be an alternate.
Chair Lopez agreed and asked who would like to be the alternate.
Commissioner Keyes shared his interest.
Moved by Chair Lopez
Seconded by Commissioner Castillo
To form a Lobbying Ordinance Charter Requirement Ad Hoc
Subcommittee consisting of Chair Lopez and Commissioner Buddingh
with Commissioner Keyes as an alternate, and to develop a work plan.
Page 5 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
2026-03-25 Charter Review Commission Special Meeting Minutes
3
The motion was carried by the following vote:
Yes (4): Commissioner Castillo, Commissioner Keyes, Chair Lopez, and
Commissioner Buddingh
Result:Carried (4 to 0)
4. STAFF COMMENTS
City Attorney Verdugo welcomed Veronica Callahan and shared she would be
assisting as Secretary of the Commission.
5. CHAIR'S COMMENTS
Chair thanked Veronica and shared he is proud of the work we are doing. He
thanked everyone for taking the time to attend the meeting last minute.
6. COMMISSIONERS' COMMENTS
Commissioner Buddingh would like for the Commission to look at what to do if
the City Attorney passes away before the general election.
7. ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 5:23 p.m.
Minutes prepared by: Sydnie Montalvo, Secretary
_________________________
Sydnie Montalvo, Commission Secretary
Page 6 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Page 1 of 1
Charter Review Commission
Annual Activity Report
Fiscal Year 2025-26
Highlights of Activities
Elected Chair Lopez and Vice Chair Disharoon
Selected and appointed Charter Review Commissioner to serve on a panel to interview
applicants. Appointed Commissioner participated in the panel to nominate selected
applicants to City Council to serve as members of the Board of Ethics.
Review of Charter Section 905 Regulations of Campaign Contributions and potential
changes.
Discussion and research on potential City Charter amendment to add an independent
auditor’s office.
Creation of a Lobbying Ordinance Charter Requirement Ad Hoc Subcommittee and
workplan.
Creation of City Attorney Vacancy Charter Change Ad Hoc Subcommittee and work plan.
Page 7 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
www.chulavistaca.gov 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910 (619) 691-5031
MEMO
Offices of the City Manager & City Attorney
DATE: July 13, 2026
TO: Charter Review Commission
FROM: Tiffany Allen, City Manager
Marco A. Verdugo, City Attorney
RE: Notice of Upcoming City Council Consideration of Charter Amendment
Measure
This memorandum is to formally advise the Charter Review Commission that a proposed
Charter amendment measure will be before the City Council for consideration at its meeting
on July 14, 2026.
On June 16, 2026, the City Council received a proposed Charter amendment from a
representative of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) Local 89, for
potential placement on the November 2026 general election ballot (the “Charter
Amendment”). If approved by the voters, the Charter Amendment would modify the City’s
Charter related to term limits for the Mayor and City Councilmembers, compensation for all
elected officials, establishing City Council committees, establishing a Salary Setting
Commission, establishing a City Ethics Commission, public contracting rules, lobbying and
lobbyist registration rules, and requiring binding arbitration for labor negotiations with
public safety unions.
A copy of the proposed Charter Amendment is enclosed for your review.
Individual members of the Commission may offer comments on the proposed Charter
Amendment directly to the City Council during the Public Comment portion of the July 14
meeting. Please note that any remarks must be made solely in your personal capacity and not
as statements on behalf of the Charter Review Commission. Additional information on the
process to provide public comments can be viewed online at
https://www.chulavistaca.gov/departments/mayor-council/council-meeting-agenda.
Comments may be made in person, in writing, or remotely via call in.
Should the Commission wish to convene an emergency or special meeting to discuss the
proposed Charter Amendment, please contact your Commission Secretary to initiate the
scheduling process in accordance with applicable noticing requirements.
Please let us know if you have any questions regarding the City Council’s upcoming
consideration of this item or related procedural matters.
Encl.
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 1 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
PROPOSED AMENDMENTOF
CHARTER OF THE CITY OF CHULA VISTA
Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 300., Members,
Eligibility and Terms as follows:
***
Sec. 300.
Members, Eligibility, and Terms.
***
(E) Limitation on Consecutive Terms. Councilmembers and Mayors may serve up to, but no
more than, two three consecutive terms in their respective offices. Any person who has held
the office of Councilmember or Mayor for a period of two three consecutive terms may again
seek election to the office of Councilmember or Mayor, respectively, by submitting nomination
papers to the City Clerk for such office, but may not do so until a period of one year has elapsed
from the termination of their third second term as Councilmember or Mayor, respectively. Any
person appointed by the Council to fill the office of Councilmember or Mayor may not seek
election to said office of Councilmember or Mayor by submitting nomination papers to the City
Clerk for such office until a period of one year after the termination of the appointed term has
elapsed. Said appointee shall be eligible to seek nomination and election for three two full
terms thereafter. Any person elected in a special election for the balance of a regular term of
Councilmember or Mayor for a period of two years or less may seek nomination and election
for three two full terms thereafter. For purposes of the term limits in this Article III., Sections
300 and 303 or any other term limit for elected officials under this Charter, terms of office
commenced before July 1, 2026, are not to be considered or counted.
***
Page 9 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 2 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 302.,
Compensation for Councilmembers, as follows:
Sec. 302.
Compensation for Councilmembers.
(A) Effective January 1, 2027, the four Councilmembers shall exercise their functions during
such hours and times as shall be necessary to discharge in full the duties imposed upon them.
Prior to January 1, 2027, tThe four Councilmembers shall receive, as compensation for their
services, a salary equal to 40% of the salary of the Mayor. As of January 1, 2027, the four
Councilmembers shall receive, as compensation for their services, a salary set by a Salary
Setting Commission appointed as set forth in Article VI, Section 606(C)(4) of this Charter;
provided that the minimum salary for a member of the Council shall be not less than 45% of
the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State . They shall also be entitled to receive
reimbursement for Council-authorized and budgeted travel and other expenses when on
official duty of the City consistent with City policies. The City Council may also provide, by
resolution, for the payment to Councilmembers of an allowance of a sum certain per month to
reimburse them for the additional demands and expenses made upon and incurred by them in
serving as Councilmembers.
***
***Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 303.,
Vacancies, as follows:
Sec. 303.
Vacancies.
***
(C) Filling Vacancies: Appointments and Special Elections.
***
(5) Future Election of Appointee to Elected Office. Any person who is appointed by the
Council to fill the office of Councilmember or Mayor, as provided in Charter Section 303(C),
may not seek nomination and election to said offices of Councilmember or Mayor until a
Page 10 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 3 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
period of one year from the termination of the appointed term has elapsed. Said appointee
shall be eligible to seek nomination and election for two three full terms thereafter.
***
Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 304.,
Presiding Officer, Mayor, as follows:
Sec. 304.
Presiding Officer, Mayor.
***
(B) Compensation. Prior to January 1, 2027, Tthe Mayor shall receive an annual salary
equivalent to 66% of the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State. As of January 1,
2027, the Mayor’s compensation shall be set by a Salary Setting Commission appointed as
set forth in Article VI, Section 606(C)(4) of this Charter; provided that the Mayor’s annual
salary for the period from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 3031, shall not be reduced
below the dollar amount in effect as of December 31, 2026 . The Mayor shall also be entitled
to receive reimbursement for Council-authorized and budgeted travel and other expenses
when on official duty out of the City consistent with City policies. The City Council may also
provide, by resolution, for the payment to the Mayor of an allowance of a sum certain per
month, as reimbursement for the additional demands and expenses made upon and
incurred by the Mayor.
***
Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, by adding a new
Section 313, City Council Committees, as follows:
Sec. 313.
Page 11 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 4 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
City Council Committees.
(A) (A) The City Council shall have a Budget, Government Accountability and
Efficiency Committee. Two Councilmembers shall be appointed to this Committee at the first
business meeting of the City Council in January of each calendar year and shall serve for the
balance of the calendar year. The Budget, Government Accountability and Efficiency
Committee shall meet no less than quarterly and shall provide members of the public a
venue for commenting on issues related to the City budget, government accountability,
effectiveness and efficiency. It shall also conduct such other hearings and provide such
other recommendations for action to the full City Council as the City Council may so direct.
(B) The City Council shall have a Public and Traffic Safety Committee. Two
Councilmembers shall be appointed to this Committee at the first business meeting of the
City Council in January of each calendar year and shall serve for the balance of the calendar
year. The Public and Traffic Safety Committee shall meet no less than quarterly and shall
provide members of the public a venue for commenting on issues related to public safety,
traffic and traffic safety. It shall also conduct such other hearings and provide such other
recommendations for action to the full City Council as the City Council may so direct.
(C) The City Council may establish, by ordinance, such other Committees as it deems fit
and delegate to such Committee such hearings and responsibilities to recommend actions
to the full City Council as the City Council may direct.
(D) The responsibilities and duties of all Council Committees shall include strict
observance of any limitations on Committee actions imposed by applicable law.
***
Amend ARTICLE V., OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, Section 503., City
Attorney: Election, Powers and Duties, as follows:
Sec. 503.
City Attorney: Election, Powers and Duties.
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 5 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
***
(C) Election; Compensation. The City Attorney shall be nominated and elected in the same
manner and at the same election as the Mayor, except as otherwise provided in this Charter
Section 503. Prior to January 1, 2027, Tthe annual salary of the elected City Attorney shall be
equivalent to the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State. As of January 1, 2027,
the annual salary of the elected City Attorney shall be as established by the Salary Setting
Commission appointed as provided in Article VI, Section 606(C)(4) of this Charter. . The City
Attorney shall also receive reimbursement for budgeted travel and other expenses when on
official duty out of the City consistent with City policies. The City Council may also provide,
by resolution, for the payment of an allowance of a sum certain per month, as
reimbursement for additional demands and expenses made upon and incurred by the City
Attorney. In addition, the City Attorney shall be entitled to such benefits as are granted to
other department heads of the City, as established by the City Council.
***
Amend ARTICLE V., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 506.,City
Council Authority to Add or Consolidate Functions, as follows:
Sec. 506.
City Council Authority to Add or Consolidate Functions.
***
(C) Transfer To or Consolidation With State, County, or Other City Governments. TExcept with
respect to the City Ethics Commission, the City Council may also transfer or consolidate
functions of the City government to or with appropriate functions of the State, County, or other
city government, or may make use of such functions of the State, County, or other city
governments to supplement or replace City functions. In such case, the provisions of this
Charter providing for the function of the City government so transferred or consolidated shall
be suspended and shall be covered by ordinance or resolution establishing such transfer or
consolidation. Any such transfer or consolidation may be repealed in like manner.
***
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 6 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
Amend ARTICLE VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, Section
602, Appointments, Terms and Vacancies, as follows:
Sec. 602.
Appointments, Terms, and Vacancies.
(A) Appointments and Terms. TExcept for the City Salary Setting Commission, the members of
each City board or commission shall be appointed, and shall be subject to removal, by action of
the City Council. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, Members of the City Ethics
Commission and Salary Setting Commission shall only be subject to removal for cause. The
members of such boards and commissions shall serve for a term of four years and until their
respective successors are appointed and qualified. Board and commission members shall be
limited to a maximum of two consecutive terms and an interval of two years must pass before a
person who has served two consecutive terms may be reappointed to the body upon which the
member had served. For the purpose of this Charter Section 602, an appointment to fill an
initial term or an unexpired term of less than two years in duration shall not be considered as a
term; however, any appointment to fill an initial term or an unexpired term in excess of two
years shall be considered to be a full term.
***
Amend Article VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, Section
606., Civil Service Commission, as follows:
***
Sec. 606.
Civil Service Commission.
(C) Powers and Duties. The Civil Service Commission shall have the power and duty to:
(1) Recommend to the City Council, after a public hearing thereon, the adoption,
amendment or repeal of civil service rules and regulations not in conflict with this
Article;
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 7 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(2) Hear appeals of any person in the Classified Service relative to any suspension,
demotion or dismissal;
(3) Conduct any investigation which it may consider desirable concerning the
administration of personnel in the municipal service and report its findings to the City
Council; and
(4) Appoint five members of a Salary Setting Commission with the duties set forth in
Charter Article VI, Section 608, and such other duties and powers as the City Council
may, by ordinance or resolution, confer upon the Salary Setting Commission in order to
achieve its purpose of implementing Charter Article VI, Section 608 ___. The Civil Service
Commission shall also have the authority to remove members of the Salary Setting
Commission for cause. To be eligible for appointment to the Salary Setting
Commission, the appointee must be a Rresidents of the City of Chula Vista, be at least
18 years of age, not be related by blood or marriage to any city officer or employee, and
not be employed by the City of Chula Vista or any business, venture or other entity
which is owned, operated, managed or controlled by any elected city officer or
employee.
(54) Such other duties and powers as the City Council may, by ordinance or resolution,
confer upon the Commission in order to carry out the principles of civil service in
accordance with the laws of the State and this Charter and to assist in the
implementation of proper employer-employee relations.
***
Amend Article VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, by adding
a new Section, Section 608, City Ethics Commission, as follows:
Section 608.
City Ethics Commission.
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 8 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(A) Establishment and pPurpose. The purpose of the City Ethics Commission (“CEC”) shall
be to supervise the investigation of, and enforce, alleged violations of any provisions of this
Charter or ordinances relating to campaign finance, lobbyist registration and regulation,
revolving door rules and public official gift bans as the City Council may enact and assign to the
CEC for enforcement. Ancillary to these purposes, the CEC will provide ethics training to
candidates for elective city office and elected city officials. The City Council may expand the
scope of the CEC’s ethics training responsibilities by ordinance.
Members of the CEC should be aware that they are in a unique position of trust given
their role under this Charter and, as such, must strive to avoid any appearance of bias or
partiality. Accordingly, they should be aware that their conduct and actions will be scrutinized
by the public at all times, but particularly during the election cycle.
(B) Membership. The CEC shall consist of seven (7) members. The City Council may
establish, by ordinance, any procedures for appointment and removal it deems appropriate;
provided the procedures are consistent with the Charter.
(C) Additional Qualifications.
(1) During his or her tenure, a member of the CEC may not hold any other elected or
appointed public office, including, without limitation, any elective office in any
jurisdiction, shall not be an employee of any holder of an elected or appointed public
office, a member of a public body whose members are appointed by an elected official,
or any employee of such public body.
(2) If a CEC member, during his or /her term of office, desires to participate in the
campaign of, or publicly support or oppose, a City candidate or elective City officer, such
CEC member shall first resign from the Commission. Failure to resign before such
participation or support shall be grounds for removal from the Commission.
(3) No person shall be appointed as a member of the CEC or shall be entitled to retain
such membership if she or he, within the past ten (10) years prior to the date of
appointment or during his or her term has been convicted of a any felony or a crime
involving moral turpitude, is found to have committed a criminal violation of the Fair
Political Practices Act or has a conflict of interest as provided in this Charter or any
municipal ordinance. Further, no person shall be appointed as a member of the CEC, or
Page 16 of 58
City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 9 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
shall be entitled to retain his or her their membership if she or he is related to an
elected City official.
(4) No person may serve as a CEC member whose profession, occupation, or
employment consist of (a) providing services to candidates for public office or to elected
officials within the City; (b) engaging in public affairs or legislative liaison services for an
employer doing business with the City, or with any Joint Powers Authority of which the
City is a participant or /member, or with any Special District covering the City.
(D) Meeting Schedule.: The CEC’s meeting schedule shall include one regular meeting
per quarter, at a day, time and location established by written resolution of the CEC. The City
Attorney, or his or her designee, shall shall cause notice of the meetings of the CEC to be kept
and distributed. The City Attorney, or his or her designee, shall also give appropriate and
required written notice of all meetings to all members persons having business before the CEC.
The agenda for regular meetings of the CEC, unless modified by a majority vote at a
meeting of the CEC, shall include:
1. Roll call of members.
2. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.
3. Amendment or approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.
4. Consideration of matters continued from the previous meeting.
5. Consideration of new matters related to enforcement.
6. Consideration of proposed or existing state legislating in the field of ethics,
lobbying, gift bans and campaign finance and proposals for amendments to
any Chula Vista ordinance or Charter provisions within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
7. Other business.
8. Oral communication.
(E) Duties. With the assistance of the City Attorney, the CEC or its designee shall:
(1) Investigate potential violations within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 10 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(2) Receive written complaints alleging possible violations of any Charter provision or
Ordinance within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(3) Obtain from the ,appropriate filing officer, copies of campaign statements of City
candidates and other City political committees and any other reports required by the
Political Reform Act for any candidate or officeholder of the City.
(4) Prescribe forms for reports, statements, notices and other documents required by
any Charter provision or Ordinance within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(5) Issue subpoenas duces tecum for bank records of campaign accounts of City
candidates, elective officeholders and any other City political committee.
(6) Issue other subpoenas duces tecum in connection with compliance investigations
and enforcement proceedngsproceedings in accordance with any rules and procedures
prescribed by ordinance.;
(7)(6) Provide any training within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(8) In its discretion as part of compliance or enforcement activities, cause an audit to be
performed of City elective officers and City candidates' campaign accounts to ensure
compliance with any Charter provision or ordinance governing such accounts.
(9) Provide compliance-related advice to any person concerning the requesting party's
duties under any Charter provision or ordinance within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(F) City Council authorization to further define the duties and responsibilities of the CEC. The
CEC shall have responsibility for the impartial and effective administration, implementation and
enforcement of the Charter provisions and ordinance(s) within its jurisdiction. To the extent not
set forth in this Charter, the City Council shall provide by ordinance the procedures for the
accomplishment of the CEC’”s duties and fulfillment of its responsibilities, including:
(1) A prohibition on any CEC member initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte
communications, that is, any communications to or from the CEC member outside the
presence of the parties concerning a pending or impending investigation, enforcement
proceeding, or appeal;
(2) Investigatory and enforcement procedures; and
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 11 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(3) Remedial authority. authority;
(G) Additional Responsibilities. The CEC shall review the City’s campaign finance, conflict of
interest, gift ban and lobbying rules, and recommend to the City Council such modifications as
it may deem fit. To the extent there are not such rules, the CEC shall make such
recommendations to the City Council for the substantive content thereof as the CEC deems fit.
***
Amend Article VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, by adding
a new Section, Section 609, Salary Setting Commission, as follows:
Sec. 609.
Salary Setting Commission.
(A) The Salary Setting Commission shall establish the salaries of the Mayor, the City Council
and City Attorney.
(1) No salary shall be established for the Mayor, members of the City Council, or
City Attorney, except as provided in this Article VI, Section 609 of this Charter.
(2) For the purposes of this Section 609 of this Charter, the term “salary” shall
mean the base salary exclusive of fringe benefit payments.
(B) The minimum salary for the Mayor shall be 70% of the salary of a Judge of the Superior
Court of the State. The minimum salary for a member of the City Council shall be 45% of
the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State. The minimum salary for the
City Attorney shall be salary in place as of December31, 2026.
(C) Commencing in 2027, the process for establishing the salary for the Mayor and City
Council shall be as follows:.
(1) Between March 1st and April 30th commencing in 2027, and every five (5)
years thereafter, the Salary Setting Commission shall set the amount of the base
salary which it deems appropriate for the Mayor and City Council, commencing
July 1 of that year. The base salary shall be in an amount which takes into
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City of Chula Vista Charter Review Commission
August 12, 2026 Agenda
Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 12 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
account the nature of the offices and which is consistent with this Charter and
commensurate with salaries then being paid to other public or private positions
having similar duties, responsibilities and obligations.
(2) Failure of the Commission to make a determination of salary amounts in any
year within the time prescribed shall be deemed to mean that there is no change
to the base salary, other than the cost of living adjustment provided for in
Subsection F of this Article VI., Section 609, shall be made.
(D) Commencing in 2027, the process for establishing the salary for the City Attorney shall
be as follows:
(1) Between March 1st and April 30th commencing in 2027, and every year
thereafter, the Salary Setting Commission shall set the amount of the base salary
which it deems appropriate for the City Attorney, commencing July 1 of that year
according to the formula in this Subsection (D) of Section 609 of this Charter. The
City Council shall designate, as of February of each year, the six California cities
whose populations are closest to the City using the most current annual
population estimates published by the California Department of Finance. The
Commission shall then determine the base salary to be an amount which takes
into account the nature of the offices, is consistent with this Charter and which Is
commensurate with salaries then being paid to city attorneys in those six cities.
In the event that the city attorney of any comparable city is not an employee of
that city, the compensation for such city attorney shall not be used as a
comparison and the city with the next higher and/or next lower population, as
applicable, shall be used in the comparison.
(2) As soon after the City Council has designated the six cities, but in no event
later than the last day of March of each year, the City, through the City Manager
or designee of the City Manager, shall, for each comparable city as identified in
Subsection D(1) if this Section 609, obtain a copy of the employment contract for
the City Attorney, along with any other documentation necessary to demonstrate
the City Attorney’s compensation. This data shall be used by the Commission to
calculate the minimum compensation of the City Attorney. The minimum
compensation as calculated by the City Manager or designee of the City Manager
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
shall be made available to the public within a reasonable time after the
calculation is approved by the Commission but no later than May of each year.
(E) The Salary Setting Commission’s determination of the Mayor, City Council member and
City Attorney salaries, together with the reasons therefor, shall be made in writing and
submitted to the City Manager no later than a date established by ordinance so that
funds can be budgeted and appropriated for that purpose. Before it submits any such
determination to the City Manager, the Commission shall conduct at least one public
hearing on the matter. When such a determination has been submitted to the City
Manager, it shall not thereafter be amended by the Commission.
(F) With respect to the salaries of the Mayor and members of the City Council, commencing
July 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, except as otherwise determined by the Salary
Setting Commission in its five-year review, in order to provide a cost of living
adjustment, the base salaries of the Mayor and City Attorney shall increase by a
percentage equal to the percentage increase of the preceding calendar year’s annual
average of the Consumer Price index-Urban (CPI-U), or successor index, for San
Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, as determined by the United States Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, in no event
shall the cost of living increase exceed 5% per year.
(G) The Council may, at any time, by ordinance, forego any cost of living increase otherwise
payable to members of the Council.
(H) For Each member of the Council, except the Mayor, a sum, as established by the Salary
Setting Commission, shall be deducted from the salary of each Council member for each
regular meeting of the City Council, other than regular adjourned meetings, which they
fail to attend in each calendar month; provided, however, that such deduction shall not
be made for their failure to attend any meeting during which they are away on
authorized City business, or from which they are absent because of their own illness or
the illness of a close relative, as defined by the applicable Council ordinance or
resolution.
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
***
Amend ARTICLE X., FISCAL ADMINISTRATIONI, by adding a new Section,
Section 1013, PUBLIC CONTRACTING, as follows:
Sec. 1013.
Public Contracting.
(A) Mandatory Disclosures. Every person or entity contracting with the City shall first disclose
to the City Clerk the names and identities of all natural persons who will receive more than 10%
of the contracted amount or who own more than 10% of the entity contracting with the City,
where the City will be expending or receiving more than the amounts established by ordinance
of the City Council or where the City Council approval is required by this Charter or by
ordinance. Contracts subject to this Subsection (A) of Section 1013 of this Charter include, but
are not limited to:
(1), contracts awarded pursuant to Article X of this Charter , where the City will be
expending or receiving more than the amounts established by ordinance of the City
Council or where the City Council approval is required by this Charter or by ordinance;
(2) transfers of interests in the City's real or personal property;, and
(3) grants or renewals of franchises pursuant to this Charter.
The same disclosure shall be made to the City Clerk by every person or entity later receiving or
assuming any rights or obligations under such contracts where City approval is required to
transfer such rights or obligations. This Subsection (A) of Section 1203 of this Charter does
not apply to public agencies, or to entities that are publicly traded companies listed on a stock
exchange in the United States.
(B) Failure to Truthfully or Fully Disclose. The City may reject a proposed contract, terminate a
current contract, or rescind a prior contract, if any person or entity submits false information or
omits information required to be disclosed by this Section 1013 of this Charter.
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(C) Provision of Disclosure Information to the City Council., The City Clerk shall provide the City
Council with the disclosures received from every person or entity contracting with the City
where City Council approval is required, prior to the City Council meeting where the contract
will be considered. If the person or entity the City will be contracting with has not been
determined by the date of the City Council meeting, the City Clerk shall provide the City Council
with the disclosures at least fifteen days prior to awarding the contract.
(D) Other Disclosures. Nothing in this Section 1013 of this Charter shall preclude the City from
requiring disclosure of any other information from persons or entities contracting with the City.
(E) No Favoritism in City Contracting. No elected official, officer or employee of the City shall
favor one bidder over another by giving or withholding information, nor shall any elected
official, officer or employee of the City willfully mislead any bidder in regard to the character of
the material or supplies called for, nor knowingly accept materials or supplies of a quality
inferior to that called for by the contract, or shall knowingly certify to a greater amount of labor
performed than has actually been performed, or to the receipt of a greater amount of materials
or supplies than has actually been received.
***
Amend Article XII., MISCELLANEOUS, by adding a new Section, Section
1206, LOBBYING AND LOBBYIST REGISTRATION, as follows:
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
Sec.. 1206.
Lobbying and Lobbyist Registration.
(A) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall be defined as follows:
(1) "Lobbyist" means any individual or entity employed, retained or otherwise engaged
for compensation to communicate with any elective or appointed official, any officer or
employee or any task force, committee, board, commission or other body of the City for
the purpose of influencing any legislative or administrative action.
(2) "Municipal legislation" means resolutions, motions, appeals, applications, petitions,
nominations, ordinances, amendments and other matters pending or proposed before
the City Council or any of its committees, or before any board or commission, or any
committee of a board or commission, or any officer or employee of the City.
(3) "Public official" means and includes an elected or appointed officer or employee or
officially designated representative, whether compensated or not, of the United States
or any of its agencies, the state, any political subdivision of the state, including cities,
counties, districts, or any public corporation, agency or commission.
(B) Registration as Lobbyist.
(1) Except as provided in Article XII, Section 1206(C ) of this Charter, any lobbyist shall
register with the City Clerk by filing a written statement containing the following
information:
(a). The lobbyist's full name, business address and telephone number;
(b) The name, business address and telephone number of any individual or
entity by whom the lobbyist is employed, retained or engaged for compensation
to perform lobbying services in the City;
(c) The legislative or administrative action for the City as to which the lobbyist
has been engaged.
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(2) Effective January 1, 2027, such registration shall be filed on an annual basis between
January 1st and January 31st each year or upon initial employment if that occurs after
the annual filing period. Should the registration be filed upon initial employment after
the annual filing period, such registration shall be filed within fifteen (15) days of such
initial employment. The City will impose a one-hundred-twenty-dollar ($120.00) fee for
cost recovery for such annual registrations and the Council may amend the fee by
resolution.
(3) Should a lobbyist have a change to its registration information, including but not
limited to, the legislative or administrative action for the City as to which the lobbyist
has been engaged, after the annual registration period, such lobbyist shall file an
amended registration with the City Clerk within fifteen (15) days of such change with the
changed information. The City will impose a twenty-five-dollar ($25.00) fee for cost
recovery for such amended registrations and the Council may amend the fee by
resolution.
(C ) The provisions of Article XII, Section 1206(B) of this Charter shall not apply:
(1) To a public official acting in his or her official capacity;
(2) To any newspaper or other regularly published periodical, radio or television station
(including any individual who owns, publishes, or is employed by any such newspaper or
periodical, radio or television station) which in the ordinary course of business publishes
news items, editorials, or other comments, or paid advertisements, which directly or
indirectly urge action upon municipal legislation, if such newspaper, periodical, radio or
television station or individual engages in no further or other activities in connection
with action upon such municipal legislation;
(3) To a person invited by the City Council or any of its committees, or by any board or
commission, or any committee or a board or commission, or by any officer or employee
of the City charged by law with the duty of conducting a hearing and making a decision
as to a pending or proposed matter, for the purpose of giving testimony in aid of the
body or person extending the invitation;
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
(4) To a person applying for a grading permit or for a permit relating to the construction,
alteration, demolition or moving of a building or to a person filing a parcel map or
subdivision tract map; provided, however, that if a person is one described in Article XII,
Section 1206(B) of this Charter and he or she tmakes an appeal, or represents a person
tmaking an appeal, pursuant to any procedure or authority provided by law from an
administrative determination made with respect to such an application or map, he or
she shall be required to register as provided in Article XII, Section 1206(C) of this Charter
upon tmaking the appeal or any action relating to the appeal; and
(5) To a person who is a professional licensed by a state licensing organization,
including, but not limited to, attorneys, architects and engineers; provided however, this
exemption for attorneys shall only be applicable if the attorney is engaged in the
practice of law with respect to the subject of the employment.
(D) A regular employee of an organization, whose regular duties do not principally constitute
the tasks set forth in Article XII, Section 1206(A)91) of this Charter, communicating to the City
during the course of his or her employment, shall not be considered a lobbyist.
(E) The City Clerk shall issue a "notice of registration required" upon the written request of the
Council, or any board or commission, or any officer or employee of the City, charged by law
with conducting a hearing and making a decision on a matter pending or proposed. Any person
who, in good faith and on reasonable grounds, believes that he or she is not required to comply
with the lobbyist registration provisions of Article XII, Section 1206 by reason of hims or her
being exempt under Article XII, Sections 1206(C) and/or (D), shall not be deemed to have
violated the provisions of this Charter or any ordinance relating to influencing municipal
legislation if, within fifteen (15) days after notice from the City Clerk, he or she either complies
or furnishes satisfactory evidence to the City Clerk that he or she is exempt from registration.
(F) All information required to be filed under the provisions of this Charter or any ordinance
relating to influencing municipal legislation shall be compiled by the City Clerk as soon as
practicable after the annual registration period and shall be forwarded to the City Manager. All
such information shall be preserved by the Clerk pursuant to the City's records retention
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
schedule, shall constitute part of the public records of the Clerk’s office, and shall be open to
public inspection.
(G) It is unlawful for any person or entity to act as a lobbyist in the City without having
registered in compliance with this chapter, or knowingly to employ a person or entity to serve
as a lobbyist when such person is not registered pursuant to this chapter..
(H) Any person desiring to register as a lobbyist shall file, under penalty of perjury on forms
prescribed by the City Clerk, the information required by Article XII, Section 1206(B) of this
Charter.
(I) The filings required by Article XII, Sections 1206(B) and (I) be filed under oath with the City
Clerk on forms prescribed by the City Clerk and may be filed:
(1) In person; or
(2) Be deemed properly filed when deposited in an established post office within the
prescribed time, duly stamped, and directed to the City Clerk, at the City Hall, but in the
event that it is not received, copies of such statement shall be promptly filed upon
notice from the City Clerk of its non-receipt; or
(3) Electronically (online) by forwarding to the City Clerk a copy of the prescribed form
via electronic mail together with a facsimile copy of the form showing execution by the
lobbyist. Such electronic filing shall be effective upon receipt by the City of the filing fee.
(J) All reports and statements required under this chapter which are filed with the City Clerk
shall be preserved by the Clerk pursuant to the City's records retention schedule, shall
constitute part of the public records of the City Clerk’s office, and shall be open to public
inspection.
(K) This provision shall be known as the Revolving Door Prohibition and shall be in addition to
any restriction on service as a lobbyist enacted by the Council by ordinance. No former member
of the City Council, former member of a City commission, or former City employee employed in
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Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 20 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
an unclassified service position may serve as a lobbyist with respect to the City within one year
of leaving office or employment with the City.
(L) It is the policy of the City to avoid the potential for undue or improper influence over elected
officials resulting from lobbying. In furtherance of that purpose, the City Council may, by
ordinance, add to the information required to be filed by registered lobbyists and may augment
the regulations concerning influencing of municipal legislation set forth in this Article XII,
Section 1206 to the extent such ordinance is not inconsistent with the explicit provisions of this
Article XII, Section 1206 Such regulations shall include defined terms, public disclosure
requirements, applicability, required recordkeeping by the City Clerk, enforcement provisions,
penalties, and prohibitions against lobbying immediate family members.
Amend By Adding ARTICLE XIII., IMPARTIAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION
FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE
BARGAINING UNIT DISPUTES, as follows:
ARTICLE XIII.
IMPARTIAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE
BARGAINING UNIT DISPUTES
Section 1300
Declaration of Policy.
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Chula Vista that maintaining effective public
safety depends upon the maintenance of stable employer-employee relations and adequate
staffing levels in the Police and Fire Departments. In order to assure that effective public safety
services are provided to all people of Chula Vista, a method is hereby adopted for peacefully
and equitably resolving disputes that might otherwise lead to labor unrest or to reductions in
public safety staffing levels.
Strikes by police officers and firefighters, which endanger public safety, are generally prohibited
as a matter of state law. Consistent with state law, the people of the City of Chula Vista hereby
declare it to also be the policy of the City that strikes by firefighters or police officers employed
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
by the City of Chula Vista endanger the public health, safety, and welfare, are against public
policy, and are prohibited by this Charter.
§ 1306. Severability.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Article, or any application
thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of
competent jurisdiction, that holding shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the
remaining portions of this Article. The people of the City of Chula Vista hereby declare that they
would have adopted this Article, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, and
word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions of this Article be declared
invalid or unconstitutional.It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Chula Vista that
maintaining effective public safety depends upon the maintenance of stable
employer-employee relations and adequate staffing levels in the Police and Fire Departments.
In order to assure that effective public safety services are provided to all people of Chula Vista,
a method is hereby adopted for peacefully and equitably resolving disputes that might
otherwise lead to labor unrest or to reductions in public safety staffing levels.
Strikes by police officers and firefighters, which endanger public safety, are generally prohibited
as a matter of state law. Consistent with state law, the people of the City of Chula Vista hereby
declare it to also be the policy of the City that strikes by firefighters or police officers employed
by the City of Chula Vista endanger the public health, safety, and welfare, are against public
policy, and are prohibited by this Charter.
Section 1301
Prohibition Against Strikes.
Consistent with the policy set forth in Section 1300, no City of Chula Vista firefighter or police
officer shall willfully engage in a strike against the City. Any such employee against whom the
City brings charges of willfully engaging in a strike, including willfully failing to report for or
perform duties as part of a concerted work stoppage, shall be subject to dismissal from his or
her employment in the event the charges are sustained upon conclusion of the proceedings
required by law for the imposition of disciplinary action upon said employee. No officer, board,
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Charter of the City of Chula Vista Page 22 of 26
These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
council, or commission shall have the power to grant amnesty to any employee against whom
such charges are sustained.
Section 1302
Obligation to Negotiate in Good Faith.
The City, through its duly authorized representatives, shall negotiate in good faith with the
recognized employee organizations that represent sworn members of the City of Chula Vista
Police Department and the City of Chula Vista Fire Department on all matters relating to the
wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of City employment, including the establishment
of procedures for the resolution of grievances concerning the interpretation or application of a
negotiated agreement. Unless and until agreement is reached through negotiations between
the authorized representatives of the City and the recognized employee organization involved,
or a determination is made through the impartial arbitration procedure hereinafter provided,
no existing benefit, term, or condition of employment for said employees shall be unilaterally
altered, eliminated, or changed.
Section 1303
Impasse Resolution Procedures.
(A) All disputes or controversies pertaining to wages, hours, or terms and conditions of
employment which remain unresolved after good faith negotiations between the City and a
recognized police or fire employee organization shall be submitted to a three-member Board of
Arbitrators (the “Arbitration Board”) upon the declaration of an impasse by the City or by the
recognized employee organization involved in the dispute. The Board shall consist of one
representative selected by the City, one representative selected by the recognized employee
organization and a third neutral panel member shall be selected by these representatives as set
forth below.
(B) The representative designated by the City and the representative of the recognized
employee organization involved in the dispute shall each select and appoint one arbitrator to
the Arbitration Board within three (3) days after either party has notified the other, in writing,
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
that it desires to proceed to arbitration. The third member of the Arbitration Board shall be
selected by agreement between the two representatives appointed by the City and the
employee organization and shall serve as the neutral arbitrator and Chairperson of the Board.
In the event that the two appointed representatives cannot agree upon the selection of the
third, neutral arbitrator within ten (10) days from the date that either party has declared an
impasse, either party may then request the State Mediation and Conciliation Service of the
State of California Department of Industrial Relations to provide a list of seven (7) persons who
are qualified and experienced as labor arbitrators. If the two appointed representatives cannot
agree within three (3) days after receipt of such list on one of the seven (7) persons to act as the
neutral arbitrator, they shall alternately strike names from the list of nominees until one name
remains, and that person shall then become the neutral arbitrator and Chairperson of the
Arbitration Board. The representatives shall choose a method for deciding who initiates the first
strike.
(C) Any arbitration proceeding convened pursuant to this Article shall be conducted in
conformance with, subject to, and governed by Title 9 of Part 3 of the California Code of Civil
Procedure, as may be amended from time to time. The Arbitration Board shall hold public
hearings, receive evidence from the parties, and cause a transcript of the proceedings to be
prepared. The Arbitration Board, in the exercise of its discretion, may meet privately with the
parties and mediate or med-arb issues in dispute. The Arbitration Board may also adopt such
other procedures as are designed to encourage an agreement between the parties, expedite
the arbitration hearing process, or reduce the costs of the arbitration process.
(D) In the event no agreement is reached prior to the conclusion of the arbitration hearings,
the Arbitration Board shall direct each of the parties to submit, within such time limit as the
Arbitration Board may establish, a last offer of settlement on each of the remaining issues in
dispute. The Arbitration Board shall decide each issue by majority vote by selecting whichever
last offer of settlement on that issue it finds most nearly conforms to those factors traditionally
taken into consideration in the determination of wages, hours, benefits, and terms and
conditions of public and private employment, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1) Changes in the average consumer price index for goods and services;
(2) The wages, hours, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment of police
officers and firefighters employed by the comparable California cities and by the principal
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
competitor agencies identified in this subdivision, comparing classifications that perform
similar services to the classification(s) at issue, determined as follows:
(a) “Comparable California cities” means the six full-service California cities next
larger in population than the City of Chula Vista and the six full-service California cities next
smaller in population than the City of Chula Vista, as determined by the most recent annual city
population estimates published by the California Department of Finance as of the date the
impasse is declared or, if such estimates are unavailable, the most recent city population
estimates published by the United States Census Bureau.
(b) “Full-service city” means a California city that directly operates both its own
municipal police department providing general law enforcement services and its own municipal
fire department providing fire suppression services, and that does not obtain either such
service by contract with, or membership in, another public agency, county, joint powers
authority, or special district.
(c) In addition to the comparable California cities, the comparator pool in any
arbitration proceeding convened under this Article shall include the two principal competitor
agencies of the department whose employees are represented in the proceeding. The
“principal competitor agencies” of a department are the two California public agencies, without
regard to population, geographic location, county boundaries, or form of organization, to which
the greatest number of that department’s sworn personnel separated in order to accept sworn
employment during the sixty (60) months immediately preceding the declaration of impasse, as
documented by the City’s personnel records.
(d) In the event of a tie, or if the City’s records identify fewer than two agencies
under paragraph (C), the Arbitration Board shall designate the remaining competitor agency or
agencies upon evidence of the agencies with which the department principally competes for
the recruitment and retention of qualified sworn personnel; and
(e) Nothing in these procedures precludes the parties from mutually agreeing to
any comparable agencies, data points and/or market measurement (e.g. median or average) to
be used for purposes of arbitration under these section; and
(3) The financial condition of the City of Chula Vista and its ability to meet the costs of
the decision of the Arbitration Board; and,
(4) Any stipulations of the parties.
(E) After reaching a decision, the Arbitration Board shall mail or otherwise deliver a true copy of
its decision to the parties. The decision of the Arbitration Board shall not be publicly disclosed
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These proposed amendments are subject to approval by the electorate in November 2026.
and shall not be binding until ten (10) days after it is delivered to the parties. During that ten
(10) day period the parties shall meet privately, attempt to resolve their differences, and may by
mutual agreement amend or modify the decision of the Arbitration Board. At the conclusion of
the ten (10) day period, which may be extended by mutual agreement between the parties, the
decision of the Arbitration Board, as it may be amended or modified by the parties, shall be
publicly disclosed and shall be binding upon the parties. The City and the employee
organization shall take whatever action is necessary to carry out and effectuate the arbitration
award, and the City Council shall appropriate or otherwise make available the funds necessary
to implement the award. No other action by the City Council or by the electorate to confirm or
approve the decision of the Arbitration Board shall be permitted or required.
(F) The expenses of any arbitration proceeding convened pursuant to this Article, including the
fee for the services of the Chairperson of the Arbitration Board and the costs of preparation of
the transcript of the proceedings, shall be borne equally by the parties. All other expenses
which the parties may incur individually shall be borne by the party incurring such expenses.
Section1304.
Scope; Definitions.
(A) This Article applies only to recognized employee organizations that primarily represent
sworn (safety) members of the Police Department and sworn members of the Fire Department.
It does not apply to non-sworn, management, confidential, or other miscellaneous employees,
nor to individual disciplinary actions or grievances arising under a memorandum of
understanding.
(B) As used in this Article: “strike” means a concerted failure to report for duty, willful
absence from one’s position, stoppage of work, or abstinence in whole or in part from the full,
faithful, and proper performance of the duties of employment, for the purpose of inducing,
influencing, or coercing a change in the conditions, compensation, rights, privileges, or
obligations of employment; and “recognized employee organization” has the meaning given
under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act and the City’s employer-employee relations rules.
Section 1305.
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Relationship to Other Law.
This Article supplements, and is intended to operate consistently with, the Meyers-Milias-Brown
Act (California Government Code Section 3500 et seq.) and the City’s employer-employee
relations resolutions. The impartial arbitration procedure provided in this Article constitutes the
final step of the City’s impasse procedure for the employees to whom it applies. This Article is
enacted pursuant to the City’s authority over municipal affairs, including the constitution,
regulation, and government of its police and fire forces, reserved to charter cities by the
California Constitution. This Article supplements, and is intended to operate consistently with,
the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (California Government Code Section 3500 et seq.) and the City's
employer-employee relations resolutions. The impartial arbitration procedure provided in this
Article constitutes the final step of the City's impasse procedure for the employees to whom it
applies. This Article is enacted pursuant to the City's authority over municipal affairs, including
the constitution, regulation, and government of its police and fire forces, reserved to charter
cities by the California Constitution.2
Section 1306.
Severability.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Article, or any application
thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of
competent jurisdiction, that holding shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the
remaining portions of this Article. The people of the City of Chula Vista hereby declare that they
would have adopted this Article, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, and
word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions of this Article be declared
invalid or unconstitutional.
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Sec. 300. Members, Eligibility, and Terms.
***
(E) Limitation on Consecutive Terms. Councilmembers and Mayors may serve up to, but no more
than, three consecutive terms in their respective offices. Any person who has held the office of
Councilmember or Mayor for a period of three consecutive terms may again seek election to the
office of Councilmember or Mayor, respectively, by submitting nomination papers to the City Clerk for
such office, but may not do so until a period of one year has elapsed from the termination of their
third term as Councilmember or Mayor, respectively. Any person appointed by the Council to fill the
office of Councilmember or Mayor may not seek election to said office of Councilmember or Mayor
by submitting nomination papers to the City Clerk for such office until a period of one year after the
termination of the appointed term has elapsed. Said appointee shall be eligible to seek nomination
and election for two full terms thereafter. Any person elected in a special election for the balance of
a regular term of Councilmember or Mayor for a period of two years or less may seek nomination
and election for three full terms thereafter. For purposes of the term limits in this Article III.,
Sections 300 and 303 or any other term limit for elected officials under this Charter, terms of office
commenced before July 1, 2026, are not to be considered or counted.
*** Sec. 302.
Compensation for Councilmembers.
(A) Effective January 1, 2027, the four Councilmembers shall exercise their functions during
such hours and times as shall be necessary to discharge in full the duties imposed upon
them. Prior to January 1, 2027, the four Councilmembers shall receive, as compensation for
their services, a salary equal to 40% of the salary of the Mayor. As of January 1, 2027, the
four Councilmembers shall receive, as compensation for their services, a salary set by a
Salary Setting Commission appointed as set forth in Article VI, Section 606(C)(4) of this
Charter; provided that the minimum salary for a member of the Council shall be not less
than 45% of the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State. They shall also be
entitled to receive reimbursement for Council-authorized and budgeted travel and other
expenses when on official duty of the City consistent with City policies. The City Council may
also provide, by resolution, for the payment to Councilmembers of an allowance of a sum
certain per month to reimburse them for the additional demands and expenses made upon
and incurred by them in serving as Councilmembers.
***
Commented [JB1]: Runs contrary to professed desire to
allow more people to be able to run for office.
Commented [JB2]: This sentence creates an inherent
conflict of interest for any current council member to vote on
approving this provision to be placed on a ballot. If an
opposite sentence was used, then it would not create a conflict of interest.
Commented [JB3]: The highlighted text is inherently
vague and will be easily used to file lawsuits against
councilmembers by people who believe the member is not doing his or her job.
Commented [JB4]: The deleted text totally politicizes a completely apolitical means of setting salaries that will keep
pace with inflation as a completely independent body adjusts
judicial salaries to keep pace with inflation. It would also be
an inherent conflict of interest for a current council member
to have his/her salary set by a salary commission whose
members were appointed by another commission appointed
by sitting council members.
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Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 303.,
Vacancies, as follows:
Sec. 303.
Vacancies.
***
(C) Filling Vacancies: Appointments and Special Elections.
***
(5) Future Election of Appointee to Elected Office. Any person who is appointed by the
Council to fill the office of Councilmember or Mayor, as provided in Charter Section 303(C),may
not seek nomination and election to said offices of Councilmember or Mayor until a period of
one year from the termination of the appointed term has elapsed. Said appointee shall be eligible
to seek nomination and election for three full terms thereafter.
***
Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section
304., Presiding Officer, Mayor, as follows:
Sec. 304.
Presiding Officer, Mayor.
***
(B) Compensation. Prior to January 1, 2027, the Mayor shall receive an annual salary
equivalent to 66% of the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State. As of January 1,
2027, the Mayor’s compensation shall be set by a Salary Setting Commission appointed as set
forth in Article VI, Section 606(C)(4) of this Charter; provided that the Mayor’s annual salary for
the period from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 3031, shall not be reduced below the
dollar amount in effect as of December 31, 2026 . The Mayor shall also be entitled to receive
reimbursement for Council-authorized and budgeted travel and other expenses when on official
duty out of the City consistent with City policies. The City Council may also provide, by
Commented [JB5]: Same comment as above .re Salary
Commission.
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resolution, for the payment to the Mayor of an allowance of a sum certain per month, as
reimbursement for the additional demands and expenses made upon and incurred by the Mayor.
***
Amend ARTICLE III., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, by adding a new
Section 313, City Council Committees, as follows:
Sec. 313.
City Council Committees.
(A) The City Council shall have a Budget, Government Accountability and Efficiency
Committee. Two Councilmembers shall be appointed to this Committee at the first business
meeting of the City Council in January of each calendar year and shall serve for the balance of
the calendar year. The Budget, Government Accountability and Efficiency Committee shall meet
no less than quarterly and shall provide members of the public a venue for commenting on is-
sues related to the City budget, government accountability, effectiveness and efficiency. It shall
also conduct such other hearings and provide such other recommendations for action to the full
City Council as the City Council may so direct.
(B) The City Council shall have a Public and Traffic Safety Committee. Two Coun-
cilmembers shall be appointed to this Committee at the first business meeting of the City Coun-
cil in January of each calendar year and shall serve for the balance of the calendar year. The
Public and Traffic Safety Committee shall meet no less than quarterly and shall provide mem-
bers of the public a venue for commenting on issues related to public safety, traffic and traffic
safety. It shall also conduct such other hearings and provide such other recommendations for
action to the full City Council as the City Council may so direct. (The two foregoing provisions
may violate the multiple issue prohibition. In addition, sub (A) below indicates that it’s not nec-
essary.)
(B) The City Council may establish, by ordinance, such other Committees as it
deems fit and delegate to such Committee such hearings and responsibilities to recommend
actions to the full City Council as the City Council may direct.
Commented [JB6]: The two foregoing provisions may
violate the multiple issue prohibition. In addition, sub (C)
below indicates that it’s not necessary.
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(D) The responsibilities and duties of all Council Committees shall include strict observance of
any limitations on Committee actions imposed by applicable law.
***
Amend ARTICLE V., OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES, Section 503., City
Attorney: Election, Powers and Duties, as follows:
Sec. 503.
City Attorney: Election, Powers and Duties.
***
(C) Election; Compensation. The City Attorney shall be nominated and elected in the same
manner and at the same election as the Mayor, except as otherwise provided in this Charter
Section 503. Prior to January 1, 2027, the annual salary of the elected City Attorney shall be
equivalent to the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of the State. As of January 1, 2027,
the annual salary of the elected City Attorney shall be as established by the Salary Setting
Commission appointed as provided in Article VI, Section 606(C)(4) of this Charter. The City
Attorney shall also receive reimbursement for budgeted travel and other expenses when on
official duty out of the City consistent with City policies. The City Council may also provide, by
resolution, for the payment of an allowance of a sum certain per month, as reimbursement for
additional demands and expenses made upon and incurred by the City Attorney. In addition, the
City Attorney shall be entitled to such benefits as are granted to other department heads of the
City, as established by the City Council.
***
Amend ARTICLE V., MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL, Section 506.,City
Council Authority to Add or Consolidate Functions, as follows:
Sec. 506.
City Council Authority to Add or Consolidate Functions.
***
(C) Transfer To or Consolidation With State, County, or Other City Governments.
Except with respect to the City Ethics Commission, the City Council may also transfer or
consolidate functions of the City government to or with appropriate functions of the State,
County, or other city government, or may make use of such functions of the State, County, or
Commented [JB7]: Same salary setting comment.
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other city governments to supplement or replace City functions. In such case, the provisions of
this Charter providing for the function of the City government so transferred or consolidated
shall be suspended and shall be covered by ordinance or resolution establishing such transfer or
consolidation. Any such transfer or consolidation may be repealed in like manner.
***
Amend ARTICLE VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, Section
602, Appointments, Terms and Vacancies, as follows:
Sec. 602.
Appointments, Terms, and Vacancies.
(A) Appointments and Terms. Except for the City Salary Setting Commission, the members
of each City board or commission shall be appointed, and shall be subject to removal, by action
of the City Council. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, Members of the City Ethics
Commission and Salary Setting Commission shall only be subject to removal for cause. The
members of such boards and commissions shall serve for a term of four years and until their
respective successors are appointed and qualified. Board and commission members shall be
limited to a maximum of two consecutive terms and an interval of two years must pass before a
person who has served two consecutive terms may be reappointed to the body upon which the
member had served. For the purpose of this Charter Section 602, an appointment to fill an
initial term or an unexpired term of less than two years in duration shall not be considered as a
term; however, any appointment to fill an initial term or an unexpired term in excess of two
years shall be considered to be a full term.
***
Amend Article VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, Section
606., Civil Service Commission, as follows:
***
Sec. 606.
Civil Service Commission.
(C) Powers and Duties. The Civil Service Commission shall have the power and duty to:
Commented [JB8]: Same comment regarding Salary
Setting Commission, plus why not apply this clause to all
commissions?
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(1) Recommend to the City Council, after a public hearing thereon, the adoption, amendment or
repeal of civil service rules and regulations not in conflict with this Article;
(2) Hear appeals of any person in the Classified Service relative to any suspension, demotion or
dismissal;
(3) Conduct any investigation which it may consider desirable concerning the administration of
personnel in the municipal service and report its findings to the City Council; and
(4) Appoint five members of a Salary Setting Commission with the duties set forth in Charter Article
VI, Section 608, and such other duties and powers as the City Council may, by ordinance or resolu-
tion, confer upon the Salary Setting Commission in order to achieve its purpose of implementing
Charter Article VI, Section 608. The Civil Service Commission shall also have the authority to
remove members of the Salary Setting Commission for cause. To be eligible for appointment to
the Salary Setting Commission, the appointee must be a Rresidents of the City of Chula Vista,
be at least 18 years of age, not be related by blood or marriage to any city officer or em-
ployee, and not be employed by the City of Chula Vista or any business, venture or other en-
tity which is owned, operated, managed or controlled by any elected city officer or employee.
(5) Such other duties and powers as the City Council may, by ordinance or resolution, confer
upon the Commission in order to carry out the principles of civil service in accordance with the
laws of the State and this Charter and to assist in the implementation of proper employer-em-
ployee relations.
***
Amend Article VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, by adding a
new Section, Section 608, City Ethics Commission, as follows:
Section 608.
City Ethics Commission.
(A) Establishment and Purpose. The purpose of the City Ethics Commission (“CEC”)
shall be to monitor the investigation of, and recommend enforcement of, alleged violations of
any provisions of this Charter or ordinances relating to campaign finance, lobbyist registration
and regulation, revolving door rules? and public official gift bans as the City Council may enact
and assign to the CEC for an enforcement recommendation. In addition, the CEC is authorized
to provide ethics training to candidates for elective city office and elected city officials. The City
Council may expand the scope of the CEC’s ethics training authorization by ordinance.
Commented [JB9]: Same Salary Setting Committee
Comments
Commented [JB10]: Good idea, and I redlined highlighted
language. One significant general issue is that it’s too
detailed regarding the operation of the commission and
eliminates discretion sometimes needed to deal with
unanticipated situations.
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Members of the CEC must strive to avoid any appearance of bias or partiality.
(B) Membership. The CEC shall consist of seven (7) members. The City Council may estab-
lish, by ordinance, any procedures for appointment and removal it deems appropriate; provided the
procedures are consistent with the Charter.
(C) Additional Qualifications.
(1) During his or her tenure, a member of the CEC may not hold any other elected or ap-
pointed public office, including, without limitation, any elective office in any jurisdiction, and
shall not be an employee of any holder of an elected or appointed public office, a member of a
public body whose members are appointed by an elected official, or any employee of such pub-
lic body.
(2) If a CEC member, during his or /her term of office, decides to participate in the campaign of, or
publicly support or oppose, a City candidate or elective City officer, such CEC member shall resign
from the Commission before commencing any such participation. Failure to resign before such par-
ticipation or support shall be grounds for removal from the Commission.
(3) No person shall be appointed as a member of the CEC or shall be entitled to retain such
membership if she or he, within the past ten (10) years prior to the date of appointment, or dur-
ing his or her term, has been convicted of any felony or a crime involving moral turpitude, is
found to have committed a criminal violation of the Fair Political Practices Act or has a conflict of
interest as provided in this Charter or any municipal ordinance. Further, no person shall be appointed
as a member of the CEC, or shall be entitled to retain his or her their membership if she or he is re-
lated to an elected City official.
(4) No person may serve as a CEC member whose profession, occupation, or employment consist
of (a) providing services to candidates for public office or to elected officials within the City; (b)
engaging in public affairs or legislative liaison services for an employer doing business with the
City, or with any Joint Powers Authority of which the City is a participant or member, or with any
Special District covering the City.
(D) Meeting Schedule.: The CEC’s meeting schedule shall include one regular meeting per quarter,
at a day, time and location established by written resolution of the CEC. The City Attorney, or his or
her designee, shall shall cause notice of the meetings of the CEC to be kept and distributed. The City
Attorney, or his or her designee, shall also give appropriate and required written notice of all meet-
ings to all members persons having business before the CEC.
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The agenda for regular meetings of the CEC, unless modified by a majority vote at a
meeting of the CEC, shall include:
1. Roll call of members.
2. Reading of the minutes of the previous meeting.
3. Amendment or approval of the minutes of the previous meeting.
4. Consideration of matters continued from the previous meeting.
5. Consideration of new matters related to enforcement.
6. Consideration of proposed or existing state legislating in the field of ethcs,
lobbying, gift bans and campaign finance and proposals for amendments to any
Chula Vista ordinance or Charter provisions within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
7. Other business.
8. Oral communication.
(E) Duties. With the assistance of the City Attorney, the CEC or its designee may:
(1) Investigate/monitor the investigation of potential violations within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(2) Receive written complaints alleging possible violations of any Charter provision or Ordinance
within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(3) Obtain from the appropriate filing officer, copies of campaign statements of City candidates
and other City political committees and any other reports required by the Political Reform Act
for any candidate or officeholder of the City.
(4) Prescribe forms for reports, statements, notices and other documents required by any Charter
provision or Ordinance within the CEC’s jurisdiction. ?
(5) Issue subpoenas duces tecum for bank records of campaign accounts of City candi-
dates, elective officeholders and any other City political committee.
(6) Issue other subpoenas duces tecum in connection with compliance investigations
and enforcement proceedngsproceedings in accordance with any rules and procedures
prescribed by ordinance.
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(7) Provide any training within the CEC’s jurisdiction.
(8) Cause an audit to be
performed of City elective officers and City candidates' campaign accounts to ensure
compliance with any Charter provision or ordinance governing such accounts.
(9) (Practicing law without a license. City Attorney duty.)
(F) City Council authorization to further define the duties and responsibilities of the CEC. The CEC
shall have responsibility for the impartial and effective administration, implementation and
enforcement of the Charter provisions and ordinance(s) within its jurisdiction. To the extent not set
forth in this Charter, the City Council shall provide by ordinance the procedures for the
accomplishment of the CEC’”s duties and fulfillment of its responsibilities, including:
(1) A prohibition on any CEC member initiating, permitting, or considering ex parte commu-
nications, that is, any communications to or from the CEC member outside the presence of
the parties concerning a pending or impending investigation, enforcement proceeding, or ap-
peal;
(2) Investigatory and enforcement procedures; and
(3) Remedial authority. authority;
(G) Additional Responsibilities. The CEC shall review the City’s campaign finance, con-
flict of interest, gift ban and lobbying rules, and recommend to the City Council such modifica-
tions as it may deem appropriate. To the extent there are not such rules, the CEC shall make
such recommendations to the City Council for the substantive content thereof as the CEC deems
fit.
***
Amend Article VI., APPOINTIVE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, by adding a
new Section, Section 609, Salary Setting Commission, as follows:
Sec. 609.
Salary Setting Commission.
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(A) The Salary Setting Commission shall establish the salaries of the Mayor, the City Council and City
Attorney.
(1) No salary shall be established for the Mayor, members of the City Council, or City Attorney,
except as provided in this Article VI, Section 609 of this Charter.
(2) For the purposes of this Section 609 of this Charter, the term “salary” shall mean the
base salary exclusive of fringe benefit payments.
(B) The minimum salary for the Mayor shall be 70% of the salary of a Judge of the Superior Court of
the State. The minimum salary for a member of the City Council shall be 45% of the salary of a
Judge of the Superior Court of the State. The minimum salary for the City Attorney shall be salary
in place as of December31, 2026.
(C) Commencing in 2027, the process for establishing the salary for the Mayor and City Council
shall be as follows:.
(1) Between March 1st and April 30th commencing in 2027, and every five (5) years thereafter, the
Salary Setting Commission shall set the amount of the base salary which it deems appropriate for
the Mayor and City Council, commencing July 1 of that year. The base salary shall be in an
amount which takes into account the nature of the offices and which is consistent with this Charter
and commensurate with salaries then being paid to other public or private positions
having similar duties, responsibilities and obligations.
(2) Failure of the Commission to make a determination of salary amounts in any year within the
time prescribed shall be deemed to mean that there is no change to the base salary, other than
the cost of living adjustment provided for in Subsection F of this Article VI., Section 609, shall be
made.
(D) Commencing in 2027, the process for establishing the salary for the City Attorney shall be as
follows:
(1) Between March 1st and April 30th commencing in 2027, and every year thereafter,
the Salary Setting Commission shall set the amount of the base salary which it deems
appropriate for the City Attorney, commencing July 1 of that year according to the for-
mula in this Subsection (D) of Section 609 of this Charter. The City Council shall desig-
nate, as of February of each year, the six California cities whose populations are closest
to the City using the most current annual population estimates published by the Califor-
nia Department of Finance. The Commission shall then determine the base salary to be
Page 44 of 58
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an amount which takes into account the nature of the offices, is consistent with this
Charter and which Is commensurate with salaries then being paid to city attorneys in
those six cities. In the event that the city attorney of any comparable city is not an em-
ployee of that city, the compensation for such city attorney shall not be used as a com-
parison and the city with the next higher and/or next lower population, as applicable,
shall be used in the comparison.
(2) As soon after the City Council has designated the six cities, but in no event later than
the last day of March of each year, the City, through the City Manager or designee of the
City Manager, shall, for each comparable city as identified in Subsection D(1) if this Section
609, obtain a copy of the employment contract for the City Attorney, along with any other
documentation necessary to demonstrate the City Attorney’s compensation. This data shall
be used by the Commission to calculate the minimum compensation of the City Attorney.
The minimum compensation as calculated by the City Manager or designee of the City Man-
ager shall be made available to the public within a reasonable time after the calculation is
approved by the Commission but no later than May of each year.
(E) The Salary Setting Commission’s determination of the Mayor, City Council member and City
Attorney salaries, together with the reasons therefor, shall be made in writing and submitted to
the City Manager no later than a date established by ordinance so that funds can be budgeted
and appropriated for that purpose. Before it submits any such determination to the City Man-
ager, the Commission shall conduct at least one public hearing on the matter. When such a de-
termination has been submitted to the City Manager, it shall not thereafter be amended by the
Commission.
(F) With respect to the salaries of the Mayor and members of the City Council, commencing
July 1, 2028, and annually thereafter, except as otherwise determined by the Salary Set-
ting Commission in its five-year review, in order to provide a cost of living adjustment, the
base salaries of the Mayor and City Attorney shall increase by a percentage equal to the
percentage increase of the preceding calendar year’s annual average of the Consumer
Price index-Urban (CPI-U), or successor index, for San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, as
determined by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics. Notwith-
standing the foregoing sentence, in no event shall the cost of living increase exceed 5%
per year.
(G) The Council may, at any time, by ordinance, forego any cost of living increase otherwise paya-
ble to members of the Council.
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(H) For Each member of the Council, except the Mayor, a sum, as established by the Salary
Setting Commission, shall be deducted from the salary of each Council member for each
regular meeting of the City Council, other than regular adjourned meetings, which they fail
to attend in each calendar month; provided, however, that such deduction shall not be
made for their failure to attend any meeting during which they are away on authorized City
business, or from which they are absent because of their own illness or the illness of a close
relative, as defined by the applicable Council ordinance or resolution.
***
Amend ARTICLE X., FISCAL ADMINISTRATIONI, by adding a new Section,
Section 1013, PUBLIC CONTRACTING, as follows:
Sec. 1013.
Public Contracting.
(A) Mandatory Disclosures. Every person or entity contracting with the City shall first disclose
to the City Clerk the names and identities of all natural persons who will receive more than 10%
of the anticipated contracted amount or who own more than 10% of the entity contracting with
the City, where the City will be expending or receiving more than the amounts established by
ordinance of the City Council or where the City Council approval is required by this Charter or
by ordinance. Contracts subject to this Subsection (A) of Section 1013 of this Charter include,
but are not limited to:
(1), contracts awarded pursuant to Article X of this Charter , where the City will be
expending or receiving more than the amounts established by ordinance of the City
Council or where the City Council approval is required by this Charter or by ordinance;
(2) transfers of interests in the City's real or personal property, and
(3) grants or renewals of franchises pursuant to this Charter.
The same disclosure shall be made to the City Clerk by every person or entity later receiving or as-
suming any rights or obligations under such contracts where City approval is required to transfer
such rights or obligations. This Subsection (A) of Section 1203 of this Charter does not apply to
public agencies, or to entities that are publicly traded companies listed on a stock exchange in the
United States.
Commented [JB11]: See comments above regarding this commission
Commented [JB12]: Good idea, but definitely violates multiple issue rule. Better as City Ordinance. Why spend time, effort and money to add provision that can be created
by ordinance which does not require charter amendment and
may cause the entire ballot provision to be declared invalid.
One modification highlighted.
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(B) Failure to Truthfully or Fully Disclose. The City may reject a proposed contract, terminate a
current contract, or rescind a prior contract, if any person or entity submits false information or
(C) Provision of Disclosure Information to the City Council. The City Clerk shall provide
the City Council with the disclosures received from every person or entity contracting with the
City where City Council approval is required, prior to the City Council meeting where the contract
will be considered. If the person or entity the City will be contracting with has not been deter-
mined by the date of the City Council meeting, the City Clerk shall provide the City Council with
the disclosures at least fifteen days prior to awarding the contract.
(D) Other Disclosures. Nothing in this Section 1013 of this Charter shall preclude the City from
requiring disclosure of any other information from persons or entities contracting with the City.
(E) No Favoritism in City Contracting. No elected official, officer or employee of the City
shall favor one bidder over another by giving or withholding information, nor shall any elected
official, officer or employee of the City willfully mislead any bidder in regard to the character of
the material or supplies called for, nor knowingly accept materials or supplies of a quality infe-
rior to that called for by the contract, or shall knowingly certify to a greater amount of labor
performed than has actually been performed, or to the receipt of a greater amount of materials
or supplies than has actually been received.
***
Amend Article XII., MISCELLANEOUS, by adding a new Section, Section
1206, LOBBYING AND LOBBYIST REGISTRATION, as follows:
Sec.. 1206.
Lobbying and Lobbyist Registration.
(A) As used in this section, the following words and phrases shall be defined as follows:
(1) "Lobbyist" means any individual or entity employed, retained or otherwise engaged for
compensation to communicate with any elective or appointed official, any officer or employee
or any task force, committee, board, commission or other body of the City for the purpose of
influencing any legislative or administrative action.
Commented [JB13]: Good idea, but definitely violates multiple issue rule. Better as City Ordinance. Why spend time, effort and money to add provision that can be created
by ordinance which does not require charter amendment and
may cause the entire ballot provision to be declared invalid.
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(2) "Municipal legislation" means resolutions, motions, appeals, applications, petitions,
nominations, ordinances, amendments and other matters pending or proposed before the
City Council or any of its committees, or before any board or commission, or any commit-
tee of a board or commission, or any officer or employee of the City.
(3) "Public official" means and includes an elected or appointed officer or employee or of-
ficially designated representative, whether compensated or not, of the United States or
any of its agencies, the state, any political subdivision of the state, including cities, coun-
ties, districts, or any public corporation, agency or commission.
(B) Registration as Lobbyist.
(1) Except as provided in Article XII, Section 1206(C ) of this Charter, any lobbyist shall
register with the City Clerk by filing a written statement containing the following
information:
(a) The lobbyist's full name, business address and telephone number;
(b) The name, business address and telephone number of any individual or
entity by whom the lobbyist is employed, retained or engaged for compensation
to perform lobbying services in the City;
(c) The legislative or administrative action for the City as to which the lobbyist
has been engaged.
(2) Effective January 1, 2027, such registration shall be filed on an annual basis be-
tween January 1st and January 31st each year or upon initial employment if that occurs
after the annual filing period. Should the registration be filed upon initial employment
after the annual filing period, such registration shall be filed within fifteen (15) days of
such initial employment. The City will impose a one-hundred-twenty-dollar ($120.00)
fee for cost recovery for such annual registrations and the Council may amend the fee
by resolution. (Setting of fees definitely should not be in charter.)
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(3) Should a lobbyist have a change to its registration information, including but not
limited to, the legislative or administrative action for the City as to which the lobbyist
has been engaged, after the annual registration period, such lobbyist shall file an
amended registration with the City Clerk within fifteen (15) days of such change with the
changed information. The City will impose a twenty-five-dollar ($25.00) fee for cost re-
covery for such amended registrations and the Council may amend the fee by resolu-
tion.
(C ) The provisions of Article XII, Section 1206(B) of this Charter shall not apply:
(1) To a public official acting in his or her official capacity;
(2) To any newspaper or other regularly published periodical, radio or television station (in-
cluding any individual who owns, publishes, or is employed by any such newspaper or peri-
odical, radio or television station) which in the ordinary course of business publishes news
items, editorials, or other comments, or paid advertisements, which directly or indirectly
urge action upon municipal legislation, if such newspaper, periodical, radio or television sta-
tion or individual engages in no further or other activities in connection with action upon
such municipal legislation;
(3) To a person invited by the City Council or any of its committees, or by any board or
commission, or any committee or a board or commission, or by any officer or employee of
the City charged by law with the duty of conducting a hearing and making a decision as to a
pending or proposed matter, for the purpose of giving testimony in aid of the body or per-
son extending the invitation;
(4) To a person applying for a grading permit or for a permit relating to the construction, al-
teration, demolition or moving of a building or to a person filing a parcel map or subdivision
tract map; provided, however, that if a person is one described in Article XII, Section
1206(B) of this Charter and he or she makes an appeal, or represents a person making an
appeal, pursuant to any procedure or authority provided by law from an administrative de-
termination made with respect to such an application or map, he or she shall be required to
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register as provided in Article XII, Section 1206(C) of this Charter upon making the appeal
or any action relating to the appeal; and
(5) To a person who is a professional licensed by a state licensing organization, includ-
ing, but not limited to, attorneys, architects and engineers; provided however, this ex-
emption for attorneys shall only be applicable if the attorney is engaged in the practice
of law with respect to the subject of the employment.
(D) A regular employee of an organization, whose regular duties do not principally constitute
the tasks set forth in Article XII, Section 1206(A)91) of this Charter, communicating to the City
during the course of his or her employment, shall not be considered a lobbyist.
(E) The City Clerk shall issue a "notice of registration required" upon the written request
of the Council, or any board or commission, or any officer or employee of the City, charged by
law with conducting a hearing and making a decision on a matter pending or proposed. Any
person who, in good faith and on reasonable grounds, believes that he or she is not required to
comply with the lobbyist registration provisions of Article XII, Section 1206 by reason of hims or
her being exempt under Article XII, Sections 1206(C) and/or (D), shall not be deemed to have
violated the provisions of this Charter or any ordinance relating to influencing municipal legisla-
tion if, within fifteen (15) days after notice from the City Clerk, he or she either complies or fur-
nishes satisfactory evidence to the City Clerk that he or she is exempt from registration.
(F) All information required to be filed under the provisions of this Charter or any ordi-
nance relating to influencing municipal legislation shall be compiled by the City Clerk as soon
as practicable after the annual registration period and shall be forwarded to the City Manager.
All such information shall be preserved by the Clerk pursuant to the City's records retention
schedule, shall constitute part of the public records of the Clerk’s office, and shall be open to public
inspection.
(G) It is unlawful for any person or entity to act as a lobbyist in the City without having
registered in compliance with this chapter, or knowingly to employ a person or entity to serve
as a lobbyist when such person is not registered pursuant to this chapter.
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(H) Any person desiring to register as a lobbyist shall file, under penalty of perjury on forms
prescribed by the City Clerk, the information required by Article XII, Section 1206(B) of this
Charter.
(I) The filings required by Article XII, Sections 1206(B) and (I) be filed under oath with the City
Clerk on forms prescribed by the City Clerk and may be filed:
(1) In person; or
(2) Be deemed properly filed when deposited in an established post office within the pre-
scribed time, duly stamped, and directed to the City Clerk, at the City Hall, but in the event
that it is not received, copies of such statement shall be promptly filed upon notice from
the City Clerk of its non-receipt; or
(3) Electronically (online) by forwarding to the City Clerk a copy of the prescribed form via
electronic mail together with a facsimile copy of the form showing execution by the lobbyist.
Such electronic filing shall be effective upon receipt by the City of the filing fee.
(J) All reports and statements required under this chapter which are filed with the City Clerk
shall be preserved by the Clerk pursuant to the City's records retention schedule, shall consti-
tute part of the public records of the City Clerk’s office, and shall be open to public inspection.
(K) This provision shall be known as the Revolving Door Prohibition and shall be in addition to any
restriction on service as a lobbyist enacted by the Council by ordinance. No former member of the
City Council, former member of a City commission, or former City employee employed in an
unclassified service position may serve as a lobbyist with respect to the City within one year of
leaving office or employment with the City.
(L) It is the policy of the City to avoid the potential for undue or improper influence over
elected officials resulting from lobbying. In furtherance of that purpose, the City Council may, by
ordinance, add to the information required to be filed by registered lobbyists and may augment
the regulations concerning influencing of municipal legislation set forth in this Article XII,
Section 1206 to the extent such ordinance is not inconsistent with the explicit provisions of this
Article XII, Section 1206 Such regulations shall include defined terms, public disclosure
requirements, applicability, required recordkeeping by the City Clerk, enforcement provisions,
penalties, and prohibitions against lobbying immediate family members.
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***
Amend By Adding ARTICLE XIII., IMPARTIAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION
FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE BARGAINING UNIT
DISPUTES, as follows:
ARTICLE XIII.
IMPARTIAL AND BINDING ARBITRATION FOR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEE
BARGAINING UNIT DISPUTES
Section 1300
Declaration of Policy.
It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Chula Vista that maintaining effective public
safety depends upon the maintenance of stable employer-employee relations and adequate staffing
levels in the Police and Fire Departments. In order to assure that effective public safety services are
provided to all people of Chula Vista, a method is hereby adopted for peacefully and equitably
resolving disputes that might otherwise lead to labor unrest or to reductions in public safety staffing
levels.
Strikes by police officers and firefighters, which endanger public safety, are generally prohibited as a
matter of state law. Consistent with state law, the people of the City of Chula Vista hereby declare it
to also be the policy of the City that strikes by firefighters or police officers employed by the City of
Chula Vista endanger the public health, safety, and welfare, are against public policy, and are
prohibited by this Charter.
§ 1306. Severability.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Article, or any application
thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of
competent jurisdiction, that holding shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the
remaining portions of this Article. The people of the City of Chula Vista hereby declare that they
would have adopted this Article, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, and
word thereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions of this Article be declared
invalid or unconstitutional.It is hereby declared to be the policy of the City of Chula Vista that
Commented [JB14]: Good idea, but definitely violates
multiple issue rule. Better as City Ordinance. Why spend
time, effort and money to add provision that can be created
by ordinance which does not require charter amendment and
may cause the entire ballot provision to be declared invalid.
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maintaining effective public safety depends upon the maintenance of stable employer-employee
relations and adequate staffing levels in the Police and Fire Departments. In order to assure
that effective public safety services are provided to all people of Chula Vista, a method is
hereby adopted for peacefully and equitably resolving disputes that might otherwise lead to
labor unrest or to reductions in public safety staffing levels.
Strikes by police officers and firefighters, which endanger public safety, are generally prohibited as a
matter of state law. Consistent with state law, the people of the City of Chula Vista hereby declare it
to also be the policy of the City that strikes by firefighters or police officers employed by the City of
Chula Vista endanger the public health, safety, and welfare, are against public policy, and are
prohibited by this Charter.
Section 1301
Prohibition Against Strikes.
Consistent with the policy set forth in Section 1300, no City of Chula Vista firefighter or police
officer shall willfully engage in a strike against the City. Any such employee against whom the City
brings charges of willfully engaging in a strike, including willfully failing to report for or perform
duties as part of a concerted work stoppage, shall be subject to dismissal from his or her
employment in the event the charges are sustained upon conclusion of the proceedings required
by law for the imposition of disciplinary action upon said employee. No officer, board, council, or
commission shall have the power to grant amnesty to any employee against whom such charges
are sustained.
Section 1302
Obligation to Negotiate in Good Faith.
The City, through its duly authorized representatives, shall negotiate in good faith with the
recognized employee organizations that represent sworn members of the City of Chula Vista
Police Department and the City of Chula Vista Fire Department on all matters relating to the
wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of City employment, including the establishment of
procedures for the resolution of grievances concerning the interpretation or application of a
negotiated agreement. Unless and until agreement is reached through negotiations between the
authorized representatives of the City and the recognized employee organization involved, or a
determination is made through the impartial arbitration procedure hereinafter provided, no
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existing benefit, term, or condition of employment for said employees shall be unilaterally altered,
eliminated, or changed.
Section 1303
Impasse Resolution Procedures.
(A) All disputes or controversies pertaining to wages, hours, or terms and conditions of employ-
ment which remain unresolved after good faith negotiations between the City and a recognized po-
lice or fire employee organization shall be submitted to a three-member Board of Arbitrators (the
“Arbitration Board”) upon the declaration of an impasse by the City or by the recognized employee
organization involved in the dispute. The Board shall consist of one representative selected by the
City, one representative selected by the recognized employee organization and a third neutral panel
member shall be selected by these representatives as set forth below.
(B) The representative designated by the City and the representative of the recognized em-
ployee organization involved in the dispute shall each select and appoint one arbitrator to the Ar-
bitration Board within three (3) days after either party has notified the other, in writing, that it de-
sires to proceed to arbitration. The third member of the Arbitration Board shall be selected by
agreement between the two representatives appointed by the City and the employee organi-
zation and shall serve as the neutral arbitrator and Chairperson of the Board. In the event
that the two appointed representatives cannot agree upon the selection of the third, neutral
arbitrator within ten (10) days from the date that either party has declared an impasse, ei-
ther party may then request the State Mediation and Conciliation Service of the State of Cali-
fornia Department of Industrial Relations to provide a list of seven (7) persons who are quali-
fied and experienced as labor arbitrators. If the two appointed representatives cannot agree
within three (3) days after receipt of such list on one of the seven (7) persons to act as the
neutral arbitrator, they shall alternately strike names from the list of nominees until one name
remains, and that person shall then become the neutral arbitrator and Chairperson of the Ar-
bitration Board. The representatives shall choose a method for deciding who initiates the first
strike.
(C) Any arbitration proceeding convened pursuant to this Article shall be conducted in con-
formance with, subject to, and governed by Title 9 of Part 3 of the California Code of Civil Proce-
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dure, as may be amended from time to time. The Arbitration Board shall hold public hearings, re-
ceive evidence from the parties, and cause a transcript of the proceedings to be prepared. The
Arbitration Board, in the exercise of its discretion, may meet privately with the parties and medi-
ate or med-arb issues in dispute. The Arbitration Board may also adopt such other procedures as
are designed to encourage an agreement between the parties, expedite the arbitration hearing
process, or reduce the costs of the arbitration process.
(D) In the event no agreement is reached prior to the conclusion of the arbitration hearings, the
Arbitration Board shall direct each of the parties to submit, within such time limit as the Arbitration
Board may establish, a last offer of settlement on each of the remaining issues in dispute. The
Arbitration Board shall decide each issue by majority vote by selecting whichever last offer of
settlement on that issue it finds most nearly conforms to those factors traditionally taken into
consideration in the determination of wages, hours, benefits, and terms and conditions of public
and private employment, including, but not limited to, the following:
(1)Changes in the average consumer price index for goods and services;
(2)The wages, hours, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment of police officers
and firefighters employed by the comparable California cities and by the principal competitor
agencies identified in this subdivision, comparing classifications that perform similar services
to the classification(s) at issue, determined as follows:
(a) “Comparable California cities” means the six full-service California cities next
larger in population than the City of Chula Vista and the six full-service California
cities next smaller in population than the City of Chula Vista, as determined by
the most recent annual city population estimates published by the California De-
partment of Finance as of the date the impasse is declared or, if such estimates
are unavailable, the most recent city population estimates published by the
United States Census Bureau.
(b) “Full-service city” means a California city that directly operates both its own
municipal police department providing general law enforcement services and its
own municipal fire department providing fire suppression services, and that does
not obtain either such service by contract with, or membership in, another public
agency, county, joint powers authority, or special district.
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(c) In addition to the comparable California cities, the comparator pool in any arbi-
tration proceeding convened under this Article shall include the two principal compet-
itor agencies of the department whose employees are represented in the proceed-
ing. The “principal competitor agencies” of a department are the two California pub-
lic agencies, without regard to population, geographic location, county boundaries,
or form of organization, to which the greatest number of that department’s sworn
personnel separated in order to accept sworn employment during the sixty (60)
months immediately preceding the declaration of impasse, as documented by the
City’s personnel records.
(d) In the event of a tie, or if the City’s records identify fewer than two agencies un-
der paragraph (C), the Arbitration Board shall designate the remaining competitor
agency or agencies upon evidence of the agencies with which the department prin-
cipally competes for the recruitment and retention of qualified sworn personnel; and
(e) Nothing in these procedures precludes the parties from mutually agreeing to
any comparable agencies, data points and/or market measurement (e.g. median or
average) to be used for purposes of arbitration under these section; and
(3) The financial condition of the City of Chula Vista and its ability to meet the costs of
the decision of the Arbitration Board; and,
(4) Any stipulations of the parties.
(E) After reaching a decision, the Arbitration Board shall mail or otherwise deliver a true copy of its
decision to the parties. The decision of the Arbitration Board shall not be publicly disclosed and shall
not be binding until ten (10) days after it is delivered to the parties. During that ten (10) day
period the parties shall meet privately, attempt to resolve their differences, and may by mutual
agreement amend or modify the decision of the Arbitration Board. At the conclusion of the ten
(10) day period, which may be extended by mutual agreement between the parties, the
decision of the Arbitration Board, as it may be amended or modified by the parties, shall be
publicly disclosed and shall be binding upon the parties. The City and the employee
organization shall take whatever action is necessary to carry out and effectuate the arbitration
award, and the City Council shall appropriate or otherwise make available the funds necessary
to implement the award. No other action by the City Council or by the electorate to confirm or
approve the decision of the Arbitration Board shall be permitted or required.
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(F) The expenses of any arbitration proceeding convened pursuant to this Article, including the fee
for the services of the Chairperson of the Arbitration Board and the costs of preparation of the
transcript of the proceedings, shall be borne equally by the parties. All other expenses which the
parties may incur individually shall be borne by the party incurring such expenses.
Section1304.
Scope; Definitions.
(A) This Article applies only to recognized employee organizations that primarily represent
sworn (safety) members of the Police Department and sworn members of the Fire Department.
It does not apply to non-sworn, management, confidential, or other miscellaneous employees,
nor to individual disciplinary actions or grievances arising under a memorandum of understand-
ing.
(B) As used in this Article: “strike” means a concerted failure to report for duty, willful absence
from one’s position, stoppage of work, or abstinence in whole or in part from the full, faithful, and
proper performance of the duties of employment, for the purpose of inducing, influencing, or
coercing a change in the conditions, compensation, rights, privileges, or obligations of employment;
and “recognized employee organization” has the meaning given under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act
and the City’s employer-employee relations rules.
Section 1305.
Relationship to Other Law.
This Article supplements, and is intended to operate consistently with, the Meyers-Milias-Brown
Act (California Government Code Section 3500 et seq.) and the City’s employer-employee
relations resolutions. The impartial arbitration procedure provided in this Article constitutes the
final step of the City’s impasse procedure for the employees to whom it applies. This Article is
enacted pursuant to the City’s authority over municipal affairs, including the constitution,
regulation, and government of its police and fire forces, reserved to charter cities by the
California Constitution. This Article supplements, and is intended to operate consistently with,
the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (California Government Code Section 3500 et seq.) and the City's
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employer-employee relations resolutions. The impartial arbitration procedure provided in this
Article constitutes the final step of the City's impasse procedure for the employees to whom it
applies. This Article is enacted pursuant to the City's authority over municipal affairs, including
the constitution, regulation, and government of its police and fire forces, reserved to charter
cities by the California Constitution.2
Section 1306.
Severability.
If any section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this Article, or any application
thereof to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of
competent jurisdiction, that holding shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining
portions of this Article. The people of the City of Chula Vista hereby declare that they would have
adopted this Article, and each section, subsection, sentence, clause, phrase, and word thereof,
irrespective of the fact that any one or more portions of this Article be declared invalid or
unconstitutional.
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