(Amended Election 11/4/14 effective 12/23/14)
INTRODUCTION
A history appendix presents the opportunity for setting down
some interesting historical facts. By the year 1848, Charles M. Weber,
German-born founder of Stockton, chose to honor Commodore Robert F.
Stockton by bestowing his name on the fledgling community. Stockton
was the first community in California to have an Anglo-American name,
all others being of Spanish or Indian origin.
The City of Stockton was founded in June of 1849, during the
year following the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo between
the United States and Mexico. The first Constitution of the State
was approved by the voters in November of 1849.
California operated under this Constitution until its admission
into the Union on September 9, 1850. In March of 1850 the Legislature
passed an act which provided for the incorporation of cities. Stockton
was incorporated pursuant to this act in July of 1850. Stockton was,
therefore, founded before California had a constitution and incorporated
before it was admitted to the Union.
It was the practice under the 1849 Constitution to enact special
legislative city charters which were purely legislative enactments,
not initiated by the cities. Stockton received its first Charter from
the State Legislature in 1851. The city operated under several special
charters until the enactment of a new state Constitution in 1879.
The new Constitution of 1879 revolutionized municipal government
in California by permitting any city of over 100,000 people to frame
its own Charter, subject to ratification by the Legislature. The Constitution
was later amended to make the provision apply to any city having more
than 3,500 population. Cities which have taken advantage of this provision
of the Constitution are referred to as "local charter or home rule
municipalities." Such a charter gives a city the right to deal with
strictly municipal affairs and gives a city partial independence from
the state legislature.
Stockton's first local Charter under the 1879 Constitution was
approved by the voters in 1888 and ratified by the State Legislature
in 1889. This Charter established a commission form of government,
with the commission composed of department heads who also acted as
legislators.
In the year 1921, there was considerable sentiment for a change
from the commission form to the city manager-council form of government.
Early in 1922, twelve leading civic organizations requested the Commission
to call an election for the selection of fifteen freeholders who should
propose a new charter. The Commission complied with this request and
a freeholder's election was held in May of 1922. In September of 1922,
the freeholders filed with the Commission a complete draft of the
new Charter. This Charter was thereafter ratified by a majority of
the electors at a special election held in November of 1922 and duly
approved by the State Legislature in January, 1923.
The City Charter has been amended numerous times since it was
originally approved in 1922.
A special acknowledgement to William Biddick, Jr. (City Attorney
in 1954, Superior Court judge 1960-1980) for his contribution to this
addendum.
