San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee Records, 1889-1973, bulk (1968-1971)

Summary

Title:

San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee Records

Dates:

1889-1973, bulk (1968-1971)

Creators:

San Francisco (Calif.). Citizens Charter Revision Committee.

Abstract:

This collection documents the work of the San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee, which met from to 1968 to 1972 and submitted Proposition E which failed (on Nov. 4 1969), and Proposition R which passed (on Nov. 2, 1971).

Extent:

4.0 cubic feet (in 4 cartons and 1 map drawer file)

Language:

Collection materials are in English.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee Records (SFH 33), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Background

Scope and content:

This collection documents the work of the San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee, which met from to 1968 to 1972 and submitted Proposition E, which failed (on Nov. 4 1969), and Proposition R, which passed (on Nov. 2, 1971). Materials include charter history, drafts and final text, reports, minutes, memoranda, research materials, and newspaper clippings.

Biographical / historical:

The charter is San Francisco's constitution. The first city charter was adopted in 1898, creating a "strong mayor" form of government. Reformers in the 1920s succeeded in voter adoption of a new charter in 1932, establishing a chief administrative officer to direct most of the city's departments. Under this charter, power was diffused throughtout the city. Over time, numerous incremental charter changes made governing arrangements more complex.

Charter revision was attempted several times--including three failed attempts--but resulted in little change. Mayor John Shelley initiated charter reform in 1967, establishing the San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee. This fourth committee made recommentations that appeared on the November 1969 ballot as Proposition E; the measure was defeated.

A reconstituted committee then rearranged charter sections more logically with no substantive changes. This recodification, Proposition R, passed in November 1971 by a two-to-one margin. Following this, Mayor Joseph Alioto charged the committee to study recommendations of the Crime Commission, Blyth-Zellerbach management committee, and other blue-ribbon committees. A committee member noted that 150 pages of the 225-page charter were concerned with City employees' rights and obligations. A final report was produced in June of 1972, and the committee was dissolved the following spring.

Acquisition information:

The collection was transferred from the committee to the San Francisco Public Library after its dissolution in 1973.

Arrangement:

Organized into six series: Series 1. Comparative Studies; Series 2. San Francisco Research; Series 3. Working Files and Ballot Measures; Series 4. Minutes; Series 5. Office Files; and Series 6. Newspaper Articles. Original order was maintained except for San Francisco Research (arranged alphabetically by subject), and Minutes and Newspaper Articles (arranged chronologically).

Physical location:

Open for research. The collection is offsite and advance notice is required for retrieval. Material must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Related resources

Related material:

Researchers are encouraged to see also SFH 5, Joseph L. Alioto Papers; SFH 25, San Francisco Charter Commission Records, 1931-1980 (bulk 1979-1980); SFH 32, San Francisco Select Committee on Charter Reform records, 1978-1996; SFH 24, Jack Morrison Papers, 1962-1988; San Francisco Charter Revision Committee Scrapbooks, 1930-1931; and the San Francisco History Center's subject and card files; and to check the library catalog.

Separated material:

Some monographs were transferred from the San Francisco Research series to the library's catalog. See Appendix B for list of titles.

Charter documents of other cities were removed from the Comparative Studies series. See Appendix A for the list of cities. Some monographs were removed from the San Francisco Research series. See Appendix C for the list of titles.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

County charters--California--San Francisco
Municipal charters--California--San Francisco

Names:

San Francisco (Calif.). Citizens Charter Revision Committee.

Places:

San Francisco (Calif.)--Charters

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:

Finding aid prepared by Tami J. Suzuki

Date Prepared:

2014

Date Encoded:

This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2014-03-14T17:33-0700

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research and available for use during San Francisco History Center hours. Photographs are available during Photo Desk hours. This collection must be requested at least 4 business days in advance of visit.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], San Francisco Citizens Charter Revision Committee Records (SFH 33), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

Location of this collection:

San Francisco Public Library, San Francisco History Center

San Francisco Public Library

100 Larkin Street

San Francisco, CA 94102, US

Contact:

(415) 557-4567

sfhistory@sfpl.org

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