Model City Charter—9th Edition

The Ninth Edition (2021) of the Model City Charter continues the National Civic League’s tradition of recommending the council-manager form of government, while also including a new emphasis on civic engagement and equity.

Navigate the online version of the 9th edition using the below table of contents, or download the complete PDF. 

Is your community currently undergoing a charter review process? If so, we’d love to hear about it and explore how we can support you. As the creator and steward of the Model City Charter, the National Civic League is uniquely positioned to help municipalities design or revise their local government structures to strengthen equity, civic engagement, and effective governance.

Recently, we partnered with Brookings, SD and Mt. Vernon, NY on their charter revision processes. While these cities had different needs and priorities, both shared a commitment to involving their communities in the process and embedding principles of equity and civic engagement into their charters.

Our team, led by Derek Okubo and Nick Vlahos, offers guidance tailored to your city’s needs. Whether you’re just starting the process or need support along the way, we’re happy to schedule a preliminary call to discuss how we can assist.

Reach out to us at [email protected] or [email protected] to set up a discovery call.

Table of Contents

• Letter from the Co-Chairs
• Introduction
• Preamble
• Article I:  Powers of the City
• Article II: City Council
• Article III: City Manager
• Article IV: Departments, Office, Agencies
• Article V: Financial Management
• Article VI: Elections
• Article VII: Role of Public Engagement
• Article VIII: General Provisions
• Article IX: Charter Amendment
• Article X: Transition and Severability
• Appendix 1: Options for Mayor-Council Cities
• Appendix 2: Context for Social Equity and Local Governance
• Charter Revision Steering Committee and Working Groups