The city of Clovis won’t become a charter city, at least not anytime soon.
City leaders had explored the idea for the past year as a way to give Clovis greater local control against state mandates on voting rights and housing development. On Monday, the Clovis City Council voted, 3-2, to continue the conversation with the community even as councilmembers acknowledged the costs and risks of becoming a charter city outweighed the benefits.
Under the California Constitution, cities may adopt a charter for their own governance with voters’ approval. Once established, a charter functions as a local constitution, allowing the city to enact ordinances differing from state law over municipal issues. Currently, there are 365 general-law cities and 121 charter cities across the state, including Fresno, Visalia and Lemoore…