• The Charter Review Committee and City staff are recommending five amendments to the City’s Charter, two proposed by the Committee and three proposed by City staff.
• The proposed amendments include revisions addressing non-inclusive language; eliminating non-accessible signature requirements; addressing ambiguities in direction to the Salary Review Commission; updating language to reflect the current budget process; and eliminating a requirement for contracts that creates an administrative burden.

The City of Vancouver’s charter requires a committee of 15 residents be appointed at least every five years to review the charter and make recommendations to the City Council on potential changes. The 2024 Charter Review Committee held seven meetings between October 2023 and April 2024 and is recommending five amendments to the charter for consideration by the City Council.

The proposed amendments, in the order they appear in the charter, include:

• Section 2.06 Vacancies Defined - Removing identified non-inclusive language and replacing it with language that is more aligned with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Section 2.18d Citizens’ Commission on Mayor/City Council Salaries – Clarifying ambiguous language around the use of the external economic indicator for calculating salary increases and timing by when a biennial salary schedule ordinance be adopted. This is a staff proposal.
• Section 3.03 Powers and Duties – Removing language that does not reflect the two-year biennium budget cycle mandated by RCW 35.34.040 and as presently provided by city ordinance. This is a staff proposal.
• Section 10.03 Petitions and Committees and 10.04 Filing and Certifying – Removing language referencing paper and indelible signatures that would prevent the acceptance of electronic signature on petitions.
• Section 11.05 Contracts Beyond One Year – Removing this section in its entirety as it creates an administrative burden and is no longer necessary because of more recent changes to the Vancouver Municipal Code. This is a staff proposal

1. Supports the work of the Charter Review Committee by adopting some or all of their recommendations.
2. Encourages voter participation in the City’s governance process.
3. Makes other changes to the City’s charter that modernizes, streamlines, and clarifies processes.