City Charter discussion

Updates

City Council has set the Aug. 10 Regular City Council Meeting as the date for public hearings to consider putting four proposed City Charter updates on the November ballot for Lakewood voters to decide.

At the Aug. 10 meeting, City Council has the following options: put these on the ballot as drafted, amend one or all of them before placing them on the ballot, vote against putting any one or all of them on the ballot or postpone taking action on one or all of them to a later date. During the public hearing, residents can provide in-person comments in addition to public comment on LakewoodSpeaks.org, when the Aug. 10 agenda is published on this website.

Proposed updates:

• Ordinance 25 -- City Council Terms of Service
• Ordinance 26 -- Temporary Council Appointments
• Ordinance 27 -- TABOR compliance
• Ordinance 28 -- Special Election Timeframe

Past updates

Four items to update the City Charter have been proposed, and at the July 27 meeting, City Council will consider setting the public hearing date as Aug. 10 for these proposals. Visit LakewoodSpeaks.org to review the proposals and provide comments to City Council.

The Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee provided its recommendations to City Council, and the City Council discussed them at its June 15 Study Session:

• Watch the Mayor's Minute video.
• Review the recommendations.
• Watch the Study Session.

Background information

One of the five goals that City Council identified during its annual planning session for 2026 is the review of the City Charter. As a result, City Council has created the Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee of City Council members to evaluate the City Charter for potential updates, and this project page will help you follow the progress of this goal. Participate in the discussion in the following ways:

• Review City Council March 23, 2026 agenda informationincluding the staff memo and resolution for creating the committee.
• Read committee's initial concepts and the reasoning for them.
• Watch committee meeting videos.
• Visit the project timeline to check on meetings or important steps.
• Ask a question.
• Review answers to frequently asked questions.

Project background

The City Charter is Lakewood’s foundational document -- essentially the city's "constitution" -- that establishes the city's governmental structure, powers and operating procedures. First approved by Lakewood voters in 1983, the City Charter has been updated several times (1991, 1992, 1999, 2004) to ensure it serves the community effectively and transparently. With over 20 years since the last update, City Council is assessing potential needed updates, and any changes that City Council proposes must be sent to the voters for approval.

The Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee will meet publicly for the following tasks:

• Review sections of the City Charter.
• Identify areas that may need updates or clarification.
• Discuss potential improvements based on current practices and future needs.
• Provide an initial report to City Council with recommendations by June 15.
• Explore the creation of a permanent Charter Review Committee for ongoing review.