Department of City Attorney's Office
Reference: City of Brighton Home Rule Charter
To: Mayor Gregory Mills and Members of City Council
Through: Michael P. Martinez, City Manager
Prepared By: Alicia Calder?n, City Attorney
Date Prepared: January 12, 2023
PURPOSE
To present an explanation of how the City Charter was adopted and procedures to amend, repeal, or form a charter commission.
BACKGROUND
Several City Council members have expressed interest in proposing amendments to the Charter or in forming a Charter Commission. This presentation will present procedures, and then City Council can discuss their ideas of possible changes to the Charter. This item is not being presented with a request for action.
A fifteen member Charter Commission elected by the citizens of the City of Brighton drafted the current Home Rule Charter and submitted the Charter to the electors of the City of Brighton for their approval. In the process of drafting the Charter, the Commission held public meetings, conducted public hearings, and received input and opinion from Brighton citizens. The Charter creates a City Council-City Manager form of representative government. The City Council is the governing body of the City that formulates policy and enacts legislation. The Mayor is the head of the City government for ceremonial purposes and is elected from the City at-large. The City Manager is the chief administrative officer of the City and is selected and appointed by City Council. The Charter provides its citizens the powers of initiative, referendum, and recall. The Charter was adopted on July 7, 2000.
A Charter is analogous to the state or federal constitution. The Charter is the City's constitution for local affairs. A Home Rule Charter gives the City exclusive control in matters of local concern. The municipalities that have not adopted a home rule charter are governed by state statutes, passed by the Colorado General Assembly. These are known as statutory cities. They have ...
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