Over the past few months there has been much talk about approving or rejecting the proposed Costa Mesa charter, often described as a constitution for our community's governance. I invite you, my fellow Costa Mesa residents, to think of the charter in a different context.
At its core, a charter serves as a contract between the government and the community. In addition to identifying the need for a charter, the document should define terms, detail procedures, and establish roles and responsibilities. Here, our City Council union is proposing an agreement that significantly reshapes the relationship between Costa Mesans and our elected officials. Such a proposition is not without its risks.
When evaluating a contract to determine whether it is a worthwhile risk, I focus on three factors: the process in creating the agreement, the specific language in the document, and the nature of the relationship between the parties.
