HERMISTON, Ore.-Civic-minded residents are encouraged to join the City of Hermiston’s Charter Review Committee.
The Hermiston City Council approved Resolution 2382, establishing a Charter Review Committee and process at its regular meeting on July 28.
The primary function of the committee will be to review the existing City of Hermiston Charter to determine if it will adequately serve the community well into the future, according to review expectations presented at the Council meeting.
“The City Charter can generally be thought of like the U.S. Constitution, but for the city government,” said Mark Morgan, Assistant City Manager of Hermiston. “No ordinances, resolutions, or actions by the City Council can violate the Charter. Councils can’t over-ride the Charter, because it is a document directly approved by the voters.”
The Charter Review Committee will begin meeting in 2025 and will be comprised of seven members appointed after an open recruitment process. Members must be registered to vote and live in Hermiston.
Hermiston’s City Charter was last reviewed in 2015, and the newly formed committee will review and recommend to the City Council a proposed Charter, amendments to the current Charter, or no changes to the Charter.
The City Charter should be reviewed periodically because state and federal laws, as well as voters, change, with people moving into or out of the area. According to Morgan, the 2025 population of Hermiston is 20,300, an increase of about 3,000 people since the last time the Charter was updated.
“Reviewing the City Charter and sending it back to voters helps to ensure that the foundational local government document aligns with what current voters want,” said Morgan.
While the committee will fully review the charter, the City Council has asked for specific recommendations on some issues, including geographic representation on the Council, ward boundary adjustments, the process for adopting ordinances, the hiring and supervision of the city attorney, the selection method for the municipal court judge, and the necessity of a city manager residency requirement.
The Charter Review Committee will be governed by Oregon Public Meetings Law and is expected to engage with the public through outreach and an advertised hearing.
According to the City of Hermiston, the Charter Review Committee will operate until it makes its final recommendation to City Council, hopefully within six to nine months.
Those interested in applying can fill out the Application for Standing Committee Vacancies and write in “Charter Review Committee” under what they are applying for.
“If you’ve ever wanted to have a direct influence on how the City of Hermiston’s government operates, then volunteering for the Charter Review Committee is the way to do it,” said Morgan.
