Major governance changes are on the way for the City of Fremont. A work plan that stemmed from the charter city process was approved during the Sept. 1 city council meeting.
The city council decided to move up a plan to have the ability to confirm department leaders that the city manager hires. That was planned for this winter, but the council asked staff to have an ordinance ready by early October.
This is a significant change for the Fremont government. The city manager is considered the chief executive officer of a city, who’s in charge of hiring department leaders and other city staff. Having the council confirm department lead appointments gives the council a position of oversight on how the city runs.
The work plan includes already scheduled raises for the mayor and council members. This raise has to happen through an ordinance, which has to be introduced then adopted at a future meeting. The salary raise ordinance is expected to be brought up later this month, along with a resolution to increase health benefits for the mayor and council.
Another proposal is for the mayor to have a process where he can put items on the agenda. A discussion on the topic is planned for the first council meeting in October along with a resolution that would allow it. Mayor Raj Salwan said it would be a transparent process where the mayor would bring up potential items during a city council meeting.
In November, the council would decide if they want to create a 2028 ballot measure to increase term limits to three consecutive four-year terms. That would mean one person can serve on the city council for up to 12 years.
There would also be a budget review to see if they need another parttime assistant. The council is looking to hire a fulltime assistant first before deciding if they need another to work parttime. The position covers administrative duties, such as answering phone calls, responding to resident emails and concerns, and being the legislative aide who can research information for the council members instead of relying on staff to provide information. Names considered for the position are “constituent services coordinator” or “council aide.”
To summarize the city council is proposing to give themselves raises, increase their health care benefits, increase their terms in office and to hire another assistant to respond to constituents and do research for them. Wow. This is why folks are fed up with politicians. When campaigning they talk about working for the community but once they get elected they take care of themselves first.
Thanks for the comment, Sam! Can you tell me more about how Fremont is runnning their local government?
Since 2016, the City Council has been bypassing state law, to do as they please. Most residents are unaware of the fact that, as a general law City, California Government Code outlines how local city government wórks – there are strict laws and statutes which a city council must do to switch from an appointed mayor, to having an elected one. There are guidelines to increase the number of City council seats, to increase compensation for council members, and to give the mayor more authority than the other for city council members – all of which require residents voting on the issue which has never been done. The city council continues to ingratiate themselves with salaries much higher than allowed by law. Compensation for general law city council is by population.
Council members should be receiving no more than $2,000 per month. The position of a council member is a civic duty. It is not meant to create the positions as employees of the city. Council members are supposed to be working for us as the residents. However, Fremont residence are not familiar with the laws of not only the state but how our federal government works, they continue to allow the members of City council to conduct business outside of keeping within the laws of the state, which is slowly eroding away our at our democracy! The mayor holds no greater influence or power than any of the other council members, yet because members of City council are ignorant of the government code, they do not know that they can question, and they should question, why Raj Salwan is usurping the powers of, not only the other city council members, but more importantly the voters of this city, whereby conceding the position of mayor having greater control than what law allows. A general law city mayor is a ceremonial one. It is a position that is Appointed by other council members – It is NOT an elected position; It holds no greater power or authority over the other city council members, unless the question is first put before the voters, which was NEVER done, Since 2016, our city council has been an unlawfully formed, illegitimate City Council and for every inch that we have given, they’ve taken a mile. Our city is a mess – we are operating on a skeleton staff because our finances are in the red, and the housing being built has no continuity, commercial and industrial zones are constantly being amended to allow developers to haphazardly build monstrosities, taking over the areas we had set aside for affordable housing (adding to the causes of the unhoused population to grow – we have lost our small and diverse restaurant and retail businesses that once dotted the city, to business ventures geared towards one ethnicity, while also padding Mayor Salwan s pockets (as a licensed Realtor, Developer and Investment Landholder/Partner) and we continue to lose our historical buildings and landmarks – our identity, only to be replaced by an alternate history…and contrary to popular media belief, we are not the Happiest City in the country…
We need to speak out – it’s time to recall City Hall!