[CRNMC] What's needed to get a home rule charter

[agnes at mcn.org]

Hi Shannon,
      Robin and several others who signed the letter to you would be
interested in your form of charter. Robin is on vacation  and will
be back in January. So your date is good so that we can all
participate in viewing your emails.

Agnes


>
> This is something I and Ben can help you organize probably not until
> January. I have worked with him on home rule rights-based charters, just
> not county. Our experience could very very useful, I hope!
>
> FYI I will be speaking about you in Peru, at the International Rights of
> nature tribunal First week of December.
>
> What you've done and continue to do is so inspiring.
>
> Shannon
>
>
>
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Nov 22, 2014, at 2:39 PM, "Charles Cresson Wood" <ccwood at ix.netcom.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello community rights folks,
>>
>> I found a research paper entitled "The Prospects for County Charter
>> Reform in California" interesting because in the conclusion it said:
>>
>> "Many [California home rule] charter reforms fail because of errors such
>> as failing to follow a process that will build public credibility or
>> needlessly alienating key groups."
>>
>> I interpret that to mean that, if we are going to pursue a home rule
>> charter, we need to build a broad base of support with many different
>> groups including local agricultural businesses, local tourist
>> businesses, local logging businesses, local residents, County government
>> officials, etc. To have the charter pulled along by a single issue, like
>> a public bank, risks that the effort will fail.
>>
>> That same research paper offered some advice:
>>
>> "There are several elements in a winning [California home rule] charter
>> campaign:
>> 1) a local constituency for reform with the motivation and interest to
>> push for change,
>> 2) a set of proposals that engage the public, [note plural word --
>> "proposals"]
>> 3) a process that allows a commission to be formed that will develop
>> credibility with the public,
>> 4) substantial opportunity for public access to the work of the
>> commission, and also access and input from institutions that would be
>> affected by the proposed changes, and
>> 5) a method of bringing commission recommendations to the public without
>> substantial reworking by institutions that would be affected by the
>> change. All of these factors were in place during the Los Angeles
>> Charter reform process, and helped to account for its success."
>>
>> So it sounds to me like if we are going to be advocating for a county
>> home rule charter, we would be best advised to get the public and other
>> key groups motivated by multiple compelling reasons (projects) to adopt
>> such a charter, not just the establishment of a public bank.
>> Establishing a citizen's commission to set-up a home rule charter is one
>> way that we could proceed.
>>
>> You can read more about it at:
>> http://www.csus.edu/calst/government_affairs/reports/countyreform.pdf
>>
>> /s/ Charles
>>
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