Possible Powers, Pay Changes For Fremont Council

Fremont is considering a set of local-government changes that could eventually affect both how much councilmembers are paid and what powers elected officials hold, but none of those changes are in effect yet. The discussion is part of the city’s 2026 push to move from a general law city to a charter city, a process the City Council started on February 17. Under California’s charter-city system, Fremont can write its own governing document for some municipal affairs, then send it to voters for approval. ### Where did this proposal come from? The Fremont City Council voted 5-2 on February 17, 2026, to move forward with an accelerated charter-city schedule aimed at the November 2026 ballot. The referral was submitted by Vice Mayor Yang Shao Zhang, according to the city’s charter initiative page and a city news release. March 3 brought the next formal step, when the council approved a charter work plan and created a seven-member Charter Advisory Committee. (fremont.gov) The city says that committee was set up to assist in reviewing and recommending provisions for a proposed charter. ### Why are pay and powers part of a charter-city discussion? California law distinguishes between general law cities and charter cities, and Fremont’s current structure is the former. (fremont.gov) The city says a charter would give Fremont “greater flexibility” and “stronger local control over municipal affairs,” including the ability to tailor administrative and electoral systems to local needs. That broader charter process is why compensation and authority questions are being discussed together. A charter can set local rules on some governance issues that are otherwise governed by state law for general law cities, and outside reporting on the committee’s April meetings said elected-official pay structures and the balance of power inside city government were among the subjects under review. (fremont.gov) ### Has Fremont approved any pay raise or power shift yet? No Fremont ballot measure has been approved yet, and the city’s public charter pages do not show a final adopted charter text as of May 23, 2026. The official materials available online describe an ongoing drafting process, not a completed package. The committee itself is advisory. Fremont’s committee page says the group is responsible for drafting a proposed charter for City Council consideration, meaning the council still decides what language, if any, advances toward the ballot. (fremont.gov) ### Who is writing the draft, and how public is the process? Mayor Raj Salwan appointed the seven committee members on March 20, 2026. (fremont.gov) The members listed by the city are Dharminder Dewan, Brad Hatton, Rick Jones, Sue Kwong, Kim Marshall, Sathya Sankaran and Ben Yee. The committee met on Monday evenings from March 23 through April 27 at Fremont City Hall, 3300 Capitol Ave., Building A. (fremont.gov) The city said those meetings were televised on Comcast Channel 27 and streamed online, with agenda packets posted in advance. ### What would voters actually see if this moves ahead? The city’s charter initiative page says the current plan is to evaluate, draft and consider submitting a city charter to Fremont voters at the November 3, 2026 election. (fremont.gov) Voters would not be deciding isolated discussion points from committee meetings; they would be asked to approve or reject whatever charter language the council ultimately places on the ballot. Fremont’s 2026 City Council priorities page says a mid-year progress report on the charter-city framework is expected in July. That gives residents another public checkpoint before any final ballot action later this year. ### Where can residents track the next step? Fremont posts meeting agendas and related materials in its Agenda Center, where regular council agendas are generally posted 72 hours before meetings. (fremont.gov) The city also says public comments for council meetings can be submitted in person or by email by the deadline listed on the agenda. The next key milestone is City Council review of the committee’s work, followed by any decision to place a charter measure before voters on November 3, 2026. (fremont.gov) Fremont’s charter initiative page and Agenda Center are the city’s main public sources for updates, meeting packets and draft language. (fremont.gov) (fremont.gov)