Logo courtesy of Placer County

AUBURN, CA (MPG) - The Placer County Board of Supervisors on June 9 accepted the final report of the 2025 Charter Review Committee and directed staff to prepare proposed charter amendments for future consideration and possible placement on a countywide ballot. 

The committee, convened every five years as required by the Placer County Charter, spent eight months reviewing county governance practices, gathering public input and researching charter county best practices. The committee recommended three charter amendments for further consideration. 

Board vacancies: The committee recommended extending the timeframe for the Board of Supervisors to fill a vacant supervisorial seat from 30 days to 60 days. The change is intended to provide additional time for recruitment and interviews, reduce the likelihood of a gubernatorial appointment and clarify when a vacancy must be placed before voters at a statewide primary election. 

County Executive Officer recruitment and retention: The proposed recommendation would retain the Charter’s current requirement that the County Executive Officer may be removed by a vote of three supervisors unless otherwise provided in an employment agreement. The committee said the change would give the board greater flexibility in attracting and retaining top executive candidates by allowing employment agreements to include alternative removal provisions when appropriate. 

Board compensation: The committee recommended replacing the current salary formula, which is based on supervisor compensation in neighboring counties, with a benchmark tied to 55% of the salary of a California Superior Court judge. Annual increases would be capped at 10%, creating what the committee described as a more transparent and predictable compensation methodology. With the 5-0 vote, the board also determined that an ordinance amending board compensation would not appear on a ballot until, at the earliest, the 2028 General Election.

The committee also reviewed issues including supervisor term limits, the number of supervisorial districts, residency requirements for elected officials and county governance authorities. It concluded that existing laws, voter-approved measures or administrative practices adequately address those issues and did not recommend additional charter amendments. 

“The Charter Review Committee devoted countless hours during this process to carefully examine how our county government operates and to identify opportunities to strengthen it for the future,” said Board Chair and District 2 Supervisor Shanti Landon. “On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, I want to thank each committee member for their dedication, thoughtful analysis and commitment to public service.” 

Last week, the board voted 5-0 to accept the recommendations and directed staff to write ordinances implementing the changes. 

The Board of Supervisors would then enter a process to adopt those ordinances, and then the county will place them before Placer County voters for consideration as ballot measures (with the recommendation for board compensation appearing no sooner than the General Election in 2028). If approved, the charter changes will be implemented. If it fails, the charter does not undergo amendments.  

The Placer County Charter, adopted by voters in 1980, serves as the county's governing document and establishes the structure, powers and responsibilities of county government.