Voters may amend City Charter

Sisters residents in Precinct 30 will see a City-referred measure on their November 8 general election ballot asking if voters approve several proposed amendments to the municipal Charter.

The individual proposed Charter amendments will not be listed on the ballot, but a description of them is available on the City of Sisters website (www.ci.sisters.or.us) and at City Hall.

Reviewing and updating the City Charter was listed under Good Governance in the FY 2021/22 City Council goals. During a workshop on October 27, 2021, the Council reviewed proposed changes to the Charter and determined they would move forward with minor clean-ups and revisions that were prioritized by staff and legal counsel. Two more workshops were held in March and May 2022. In June 2022, Council passed a resolution referring the Charter amendments to the voters.

The City considers many current Charter provisions to outdated, which “hinder effective and efficient municipal operations.”

Among other things, the proposed amendments would clarify certain city manager responsibilities; permit the Council to adopt Council rules through resolution; remove certain Charter sections that may not be in conformity with state law; and remove gender-specific pronouns throughout the Charter.

The City Charter is the foundation of Sisters City government. Like the U.S. and Oregon Constitutions, a City Charter functions as the fundamental governing document for a municipal corporation. Charter revisions, like revisions to the Constitution, can only be enacted through a vote of the electorate. The current Sisters Charter was originally adopted in 1948 by a vote of the citizens. It was first amended by approval of the voters in 1967 and again in 2003.

Amendments would take effect January 1, 2023.