A city’s charter outlines the structure of its city government. Tacoma’s City Charter was adopted by its residents in 1953, and last reviewed in 2014.  
 

The City Council is required to review Tacoma’s city charter every 10 years. It does this with the assistance of Tacoma residents who apply for, and are appointed by Council to, a 15-member Charter Review Committee.  

 
The Charter Review Committee's role is to thoroughly study Tacoma’s City Charter and recommend changes to the City Council. The Council then decides which recommendations are forwarded on to Tacoma’s voters to ultimately decide. 
 

A once-in-a-decade opportunity to shape Tacoma’s future 
Will you answer the call to serve? 

The City Council needs dedicated individuals reflecting Tacoma’s diverse community to conduct a deliberate, thoughtful, and inclusive review of Tacoma’s City Charter.  
 

Each charter review process is defined by the Charter Review Committee in place at the time. Committee members decide how many meetings to have, what topics to focus on, how to gather feedback, and whether they need to establish subcommittees to complete the work.  

Serving on the Charter Review Committee is no small act of service.  

 
Charter Review Committee members met for four months during the 2014 Charter Review, from January through April. The full committee met twice per week, often working late into the evening. Each committee member also sat on at least two subcommittees while carving out extra time as needed to host town halls and special meetings, meet with community groups, analyze topics in greater detail, draft reports, and prepare final recommendations.
 

Projected Timeline

October 17, 2023