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Charter revision commissions and Law Department's involvement
3:15:08
ยท
167 sec
Council Member Brewer inquires about the Law Department's role in charter revision commissions, including funding allocation and responsibilities. The Corporation Counsel and Chief of Administration explain the department's involvement.
- Funding for charter revision commissions is placed in the Law Department's budget for convenience.
- The Law Department holds the money but doesn't have direct involvement in retaining firms for information campaigns.
- The Legal Counsel Division provides counseling to charter revision commissions on procedural matters.
- Funding amounts for 2024 and 2025 Charter Revision Commissions are based on remaining costs and estimates.
- The Law Department does not have a role in determining which ballot proposals end up on the ballots but may consult on ballot language.
Gale A. Brewer
3:15:08
Okay.
3:15:09
Next question is just charter revision.
3:15:11
There are two charters, as you know, competing or complimentary.
3:15:15
It's not clear.
3:15:16
And so I go testifying to all of them, having no idea what will end up on the ballot.
3:15:21
But I think, there is money associated with, your agency and their existence.
3:15:30
So I just wanna know how the funding amounts were determined.
3:15:33
Are you working on both or just the mayor's charter?
3:15:37
And what's your role in charter revision commissions?
3:15:39
It's a little strange at this moment.
Muriel Goode-Trufant
3:15:43
I will start and then I will, yield to our chief of administration for, more information.
3:15:50
Historically, has been put in the law department's budget for charter revision commissions.
3:15:58
I think mostly because it's a convenient place to put it.
3:16:02
And so a charter revision commission may decide that they need to hire a firm to do an information campaign for the electorate.
3:16:15
That firm would be paid by the law department even though the law department would not have any actual connection to retaining that firm, but we are holding the money.
3:16:26
And so that is why you see funds in our budget for a charter revision.
3:16:32
Separate from that, our legal counsel division provides a wealth of counseling to charter revision commissions on how mechanically to carry out their task.
3:16:49
And I will ask Jen if I have missed any detail.
Jennie Nagle-Yndigoyen
3:16:55
The only detail I think that I could provide additionally is the way the amounts are determined for the 2024 Charter Commission funding, Charter Revision Commission funding.
3:17:06
That was just the amount that was still owed.
3:17:08
I think that was primarily for the advertising campaign surrounding the election in November.
3:17:15
And that was a current fiscal year cost, so they didn't fund that before.
3:17:20
As far as the other one that is the 2025 Charter Revision Commission amounts, that was just the estimate is subject to revision later.
Gale A. Brewer
3:17:26
Okay.
3:17:27
So you don't have anything to say about which ballot proposals end up on the ballots, which is what's going to be the real issue?
Lincoln Restler
3:17:34
No.
3:17:35
We do not.
Gale A. Brewer
3:17:35
Okay.
3:17:36
Alright.
3:17:36
Thank you.
Lincoln Restler
3:17:38
But you'll consult on the language of the
Muriel Goode-Trufant
3:17:41
ballot ask us a question.
3:17:43
We we are support.
Lincoln Restler
3:17:45
Right.
3:17:46
When I was on the other side, every we went back and forth with Spencer and others on the wording of every sentence very, very carefully.
3:17:56
But one more just cannabis follow-up to Councilmember Brewer.