PLACER COUNTY

The Placer County Board of Supervisors on June 9 accepted the final report of the 2025 Charter Review Committee and directed staff to prepare proposed charter amendments for future consideration and possible placement on a countywide ballot. 

The Placer County Charter, adopted by voters in 1980, serves as the county’s governing document and establishes the structure, powers, and responsibilities of county government.

The committee, convened every five years as required by the Placer County Charter, spent eight months reviewing county governance practices, gathering public input, and researching charter county best practices. The committee recommended three charter amendments for further consideration.

Board vacancies: The committee recommended extending the timeframe for the board of supervisors to fill a vacant supervisorial seat from 30 days to 60 days. 

County executive officer recruitment and retention: The proposed recommendation would retain the charter’s current requirement that the county executive officer may be removed by a vote of three supervisors unless otherwise provided in an employment agreement.

Board compensation: The committee recommended replacing the current salary formula, which is based on supervisor compensation in neighboring counties, with a benchmark tied to 55% of the salary of a California Superior Court judge. Annual increases would be capped at 10%.

The board voted 5-0 to accept the recommendations and directed staff to write ordinances implementing the changes. The board of supervisors would then enter a process to adopt those ordinances, and then the county will place them before Placer County voters for consideration as ballot measures.

~ Placer County press release