Charter City Initiative Meeting — City of Fremont

Fremont’s Charter Advisory Committee meets Monday, April 20, as the city moves toward a possible charter-city vote in November 2026. (fremont.gov) The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the City Council Chambers at Fremont City Hall, 3300 Capitol Ave., Building A. The city says the session will also be available on Comcast Channel 27, the city website and Zoom. (fremont.gov 1) (fremont.gov 2) A charter city operates under its own local charter on municipal affairs, while Fremont now operates as a general law city under the California Government Code. Fremont’s charter initiative page says the shift is intended to give the city more local control over governance, procurement and election rules. (fremont.gov) The Fremont City Council started that process on February 17, 2026, when it approved a referral from Vice Mayor Zhang to study changing Fremont from a general law city to a charter city. The same city page says the council then chose an accelerated schedule and a November 2026 ballot target in a 5-2 vote. (fremont.gov) On March 3, 2026, the council approved a city charter workplan and created a seven-member, mayor-appointed Charter Advisory Committee to help review and recommend charter provisions. Mayor Raj Salwan appointed the seven members on March 20, 2026. (fremont.gov 1) (fremont.gov 2) The committee’s current members are Dharminder Dewan, Brad Hatton, Rick Jones, Sue Kwong, Kim Marshall, Sathya Sankaran and Ben Yee. The city says the group has been meeting every Monday from March 23 through April 27 at 5 p.m. (fremont.gov) City staff say agenda packets are posted on Fridays before each meeting in the Agenda Center, and the Zoom link appears in the agenda packet. The city also says residents can submit public comments by email before the meeting or speak in person. (fremont.gov) (fremont.gov) The April 20 meeting is one step in a compressed six-week public process that runs through April 27 before the council decides whether to send a proposed charter to voters on November 3, 2026. Fremont’s charter initiative page says voter approval is required for the city to make the change. (fremont.gov) For residents trying to follow the proposal, the city has centralized meeting dates, agendas and background materials on its Charter City Initiative page. Monday’s meeting keeps that review moving on the same day Fremont listed in its public calendar. (fremont.gov) (fremont.gov)