Cathedral City Council to discuss charter city ballot measure

On Wednesday, the Cathedral City Council will weigh a potential November ballot measure that would allow voters to choose whether to switch from being a general-law city to a charter city.

If placed on the ballot and approved by voters, Cathedral City would be allowed to define its own rules for governance through the provisions outlined in its charter. The latest draft for a proposed city charter would change the mayorship to a rotating appointed position rather than an elected one, and shift council member elections to district, rather than at-large elections if the city’s population exceeds 75,000.

City officials say becoming a charter city “would allow Cathedral City to write its own ordinances tailored to the specific needs of the community rather than those made at the state level.”

Other charter cities in the Coachella Valley include Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells.

Surveys conducted earlier this year indicated that 63 percent of respondents were in favor of the city moving towards a charter. If approved by council members, the measure would appear before voters as follows:

“To enhance local control over municipal affairs, shall the City of Cathedral City Charter be adopted to establish Cathedral City as a charter city, and giving the City the power to establish public works contracting procedures, set penalties for violations of ordinances and resolutions, and appoint a city clerk?”