IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE TC
PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO UPDATE THE TORRANCE CITY CHARTER

In accordance with the California Constitution, voters may enact a city charter that sets forth the fundamental structure, powers, and functions of their city government. Such charters may be amended, but such amendments must typically be approved by a majority of local voters.

Originally enacted in 1947, the Torrance City Charter last underwent a comprehensive update in 1973. Over the past year, the City Council of the City of Torrance has conducted at least four public meetings to discuss potential changes to the Torrance City Charter. On July 16, 2024, the Torrance City Council voted to place a measure on the November 5, 2024, ballot for local voters to consider a number of proposed amendments. Measure TC will not increase taxes.

Below is an impartial analysis of the primary amendments to the Torrance City Charter that would be adopted if a majority of local voters approve Measure TC, which would:

• Provide for transparency and require the City Council and all City boards, commissions, and committees to act in a manner that promotes public participation;
• Increase public disclosure obligations for lobbyists and campaign finances;
• Restrict the use of official influence for partisan, political, or financial gain, including "revolving door" constraints on former City officials and "anti-nepotism" restrictions for current City officials to appoint relatives to salaried City positions;
• Establish regular ethics training requirements for certain City officials;
• Modify the terms and conditions of employment, appointment, and removal of the City Manager and the City Attorney, and specifically, make both positions at-will employees that serve at the pleasure of the City Council;
• Remove certain residency requirements for appointed officers;
• List the modern duties of the City Clerk;
• Clarify the role of the independent auditor and audit;
• Define a minimum wage compensation structure for council members;
• Outline the process for making claims for damages and commencing actions against the City;
• Detail the City Council's power to create, combine, suspend, or eliminate advisory boards, committees, or commissions, and remove and fill vacancies on majority vote;
• Provide for the continuance of certain existing items, including existing boards, committees, and commissions;
• Collect and expand on the general provisions and definitions in Article 1;
• Eliminate dated references to the Board of Education (now the independent Torrance Unified School District), the Airport Fund, and the miscellaneous provisions in Article 12; and,
• Make other minor revisions to reform usage to modern standards and renumber provisions consistent with the proposed amendments, including adopting general neutral terminology throughout the Charter.