CHARTER
OF THE
CITY OF PALO ALTO

COUNTY OF SANTA CLARA
STATE OF CALIFORNIA

   Incorporated April 23, 1894

1950 Charter

   Adopted by Stats. 1950, Ch. 7

   As Amended

      Stats. 1909, p. 1175

   Amended:

      Stats. 1911, p. 2040

      Stats. 1917, p. 1859

      Stats. 1921, p. 2167

      Stats. 1933, p. 2746

      Stats. 1950, Ch. 7

      Stats. 1951, Ch. 40

      Stats. 1961, Ch. 190

      Stats. 1965, Ch. 25, ACR 20

      Stats. 1965, Ch. 136, ACR 161

      Stats. 1967, Ch. 103, ACR 106

      Stats. 1968, Ch. 163, ACR 143

      Stats. 1969, Ch. 223, ACR 192

      Stats. 1972, Ch. 71, ACR 117

      Filed with Secretary of State, July 1, 1976

      Filed with Secretary of State, November 26, 1976

      Filed with Secretary of State, July 17, 1978

      Filed with Secretary of State, May 30, 1979

      Filed with Secretary of State, December 12, 1979

      Filed with Secretary of State, December 10, 1982

      Filed with Secretary of State, December 9, 1983

   Note: This is the 1950 Charter adopted by Stats. 1950, Ch. 7. All changes since 1950 are indicated. Catchlines have been supplied as the original had no catchlines.

   OFFICE OF THE CITY ATTORNEY

   August 2, 1965

   CHARTER

   OF THE

   CITY OF PALO ALTO

Article I. Boundaries of the City

   The boundaries of the city of Palo Alto shall contain that territory within its present borders. The territory embraced therein may be added to or diminished in accordance with the laws of the state of California governing the annexation and exclusion of territory by municipalities.

Article II. Powers

   The city of Palo Alto, by and through its council and other officials, shall have and may exercise all powers necessary and appropriate to a municipal corporation and the general welfare of its inhabitants which are not prohibited by the Constitution of the State of California or by this charter, and which it would be competent for this charter to set forth specifically, and the specification herein of any particular powers shall not be held to be exclusive of, or any limitation upon, the general grant of powers heretofore or hereafter granted to municipal corporations by the Constitution or general laws.

Article III. Council

Sec. 1. Powers.

   All powers herein granted to and vested in the city of Palo Alto shall, except as herein otherwise provided, be exercised by a council to be designated the council of the city of Palo Alto; and said council shall, except as herein otherwise provided, have the power to fix and establish the method and manner in which such powers shall be exercised.

Sec. 2. Number - Term.

   Commencing January 1, 2019, said council shall be composed of seven members, each of whom shall be an elector and shall have been a resident of the city of Palo Alto for at least thirty days next preceding the final filing date for nomination papers for such office. The members of said council shall be known as councilmen, councilwomen, or council members and their terms of office shall be four years, commencing on the first day of January next succeeding their election. The terms of council members who took office on July 1, 1977, shall expire on December 31, 1981. Commencing January 1, 1992, no person shall be eligible to serve consecutively in more than two full terms of office as a member of the council. Any partial term of office longer than two years shall be deemed a full term. Terms of office commenced before January 1, 1992, shall not be counted when determining eligibility under this section.

(Amended by Stats. 1965, ACR No. 20 and by Stats. 1965, ACR No. 161 and by Stats. 1972, Ch. 71, 7-7-72, and by amendment filed with Secretary of State, July 1, 1976 and by amendment filed with Secretary of State, December 12, 1979 and by amendment filed with the Secretary of State, January 21, 1992, and amendment passed by electorate November 4, 2014)