A: Tigard’s existing Charter was approved by voters in 1962. It has been amended several times over the last 62 years, but has not been reviewed comprehensively until now.

A: It gets changed by Tigard voters. The City Council can initiate discussions and pass a resolution to refer a proposed charter to Tigard voters for consideration, but Tigard voters must approve the changes at an election.

A: If passed, the proposed Charter would become operative on July 1, 2024.

A: If the measure passes, the proposed City Charter would not change Tigard’s form of government, how laws are passed, or how elected officials are elected.

The proposed Charter changes include:

• Adding two Councilors to City Council. This change would increase City Council to seven members. The total Council would be composed of six Councilors and the Mayor. Most cities the size of Tigard in Oregon have six Councilors.
• Setting term limits as two consecutive terms as Councilor and two consecutive terms as Mayor, for a total of no more than four consecutive terms.
• Adding a Preamble that explicitly states Tigard’s values and claims ‘Home Rule’ authority.
• Deferring to existing state statutes where applicable. The areas impacted by this change would include public records, public meetings, public improvements, elections, and urban renewal.
• Changes related to Council including: creating Charter expectations for how Council conducts itself, eliminating the requirement that a sitting Councilor resign to run for Mayor, and shortening the Council President's term from two years to one year.
• Adding two new requirements for elected office. In addition to being a qualified elector and resident of Tigard, a candidate would also need to be registered to vote in Tigard and have resided in Tigard for at least one year.
• Adding a clause that changes the requirements for future Charter changes. The change would require that voter-initiated Charter amendments be held at a primary or general election.
• Removing Section 51 which prohibits the City of Tigard from distributing water from the Willamette River without voter approval.
• Removing Section 53 which requires the City of Tigard to oppose the construction of a new high-capacity transit corridor.

A: If the proposed Charter is adopted, the financial impact would be due to the addition of two Councilors.  Councilors currently receive a stipend of $7,500 per year. The expected total cost is estimated at $100,000, including City benefits, travel, and other indirect costs. This would be paid from the City’s general fund through existing revenue streams. The proposed Charter would not increase taxes.

A: In 2022, City Council was asked to define the term limits section of the current City Charter because it was unclear how it would apply in the upcoming election. During that process it became clear that many areas of the Charter had become outdated and confusing over time and that the 60-year old document needed to be reviewed completely and brought into the 21st century.

A: The Charter Committee had 14 members. Six community representatives, one youth representative, three past and present elected Tigard officials, the City Recorder, and three non-voting alternates. Community members were invited to apply to the Committee in Fall 2022 and Council selected the members in November 2022.

Community Representatives: Derek Lawson, Karen Emerson, Lindsey Washburn, Former Rep. Margaret Doherty, Nathan Jackson, William T. Simpson

Youth Representative: Zachary Clairmont

Elected Representatives: Former Mayor Jason Snider, Councilor Jeanette Shaw, Former Mayor John Cook

City Recorder: Carol Krager

Non-Voting Alternates: Dolly Specht, Holly Fenton, Zeena Pinto

A: The Charter Review Committee unanimously recommended removing this section of the Charter. The Committee considered several factors before reaching its decision, including that several of Tigard’s regional neighbors are using or will be using Willamette River water in the upcoming years, Tigard’s future growth and water needs, and the potential environmental and health impacts of distributing water from the Willamette River.

A. Water quality standards are set by Oregon DEQ and you can learn more about their standards, assessment, and monitoring of water quality here.

The current Charter also requires the City to oppose high-capacity transit without a vote and to receive voter approval of an authorization ordinance before amending a land use regulation to accommodate high-capacity transit. If this section is removed as proposed, what would the effect be?

A. The region has planned high capacity transit to Tigard in a project called “Southwest Corridor Light Rail.”  Tigard voters approved Measure 34-255 in November 2016, which allowed the City to support the Southwest Corridor by way of an authorization ordinance required by the City’s Charter.  In 2017, the state legislature passed House Bill 3202.  This bill expressly preempted Tigard’s Charter and established consistent land use procedures that would apply across all jurisdictions where the Southwest Corridor Light Rail project was proposed.  Once this legislation was passed, Tigard’s Charter provision had no legal authority over land use regulations connected to this proposed project going forward. 

Because Tigard voters already authorized the City to support this project, the current Charter requirements have already been satisfied. Removing these Charter provisions would therefore not change planning around the Southwest Corridor project as proposed. For a project other than Southwest Corridor, removing these Charter provisions would mean Tigard voters would not need to approve an authorization ordinance for the City to amend its land use regulations. Additionally, City Council would decide its position on the proposed project instead of being required by Charter to oppose the project without voter approval.

A. Yes, the Charter Review Committee discussed the proposed Charter during public meetings.  Between January 2023 and August 2023, there were 15 work sessions, as well as a public presentation to City Council.