PROPOSITION 1 - AMENDMENT OF CITY CHARTER

CITY OF CLAYTON

NOVEMBER 4, 2025

The Clayton City Charter provides that amendments to the Charter may be proposed by the Board of Aldermen and that any amendment must be approved by a majority of the qualified electors. On August 12, 2025, the Clayton Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance to place a Charter Amendment on the November 4, 2025 Special Election ballot.

The City Charter is a legal document that establishes the form of government, powers, and rights within state-prescribed limits for the City of Clayton. It was initially created by Clayton citizens and approved by voters in 1957. The Charter has been amended several times, with the last amendment approved in 2006.

The proposed 2025 Charter Amendment is intended to update procedures, clarify certain provisions, and use gender neutral language. Notable revisions contained within the Charter Amendment include the following:

• Removes all gender-specific references and changes the name of the Board of Aldermen to City Council (Article I, Section 2)
• Removes several sections related to specific departments, boards and commissions, and provides that such departments, boards and commissions shall be established or amended by ordinance, rather than the Charter. This includes provisions related to the Fire Department, Police Department, Library Board, Parks and Recreation, Director of Finance, Director of Public Works, Plan Commission, Police and Fireman’s Retirement Fund, and Municipal Court. (Article IV)
• Specifies that Mayor & City Council term limits relate to consecutive full terms (Article II, Section 1)

• Clarifies provision related to compensation for Mayor and City Councilmembers (Article II, Section 4)
• Updates and streamlines provisions related to purchasing and public improvements. (Article IX)
• Revises provisions related to City Council Vacancies to align with modern election schedules. (Article II, Section 5)

If the Charter Amendments are approved by voters on November 4, 2025, the Clayton Board of Aldermen will consider legislation on November 11, 2025, to establish or amend the following provisions within the Municipal Code to replace deleted Charter sections:

• Replace all references related to Board of Aldermen with City Council
• Establish or amend provisions related to the Plan Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission.
• Establish or amend provisions related to the Fire Department, Police Department, Director of Finance, and Director of Public Works.
• Establish the qualifications and provisions related to the Municipal Judge, including requirements related to bar membership and professional experience.
• Establish or amend provisions related to purchasing and public improvements, including requirements for competitive bidding processes.

Full redline and clean versions of the proposed Charter Amendment are available for review at Clayton City Hall (10 N. Bemiston Ave) and can be found below.

Examples of proposed amendments to the Charter that are already addressed within the Municipal Code or CURRENTLY adopted policies:

Article IX – Planning and Zoning

• Section 1: City Plan Commission
  • The Charter’s detailed structure for the Plan Commission (number of members, qualifications, terms, officers, etc.) is deleted.
  • These provisions currently also exist in the Municipal Code, Chapter 400 – Zoning Regulations, which defines the composition, duties, and procedures of the Plan Commission and will remain in place. It is anticipated that the Board of Aldermen will consider replacing the City Manager with an at-large resident on the Plan Commission if Proposition 1 passes.
• Section 2: Powers and Duties
  • The Charter’s language requiring submission of a “master plan” and annual report is removed.
  • These responsibilities are already governed by Sections 400.040–400.100 of the Municipal Code.
• Section 3: Zoning
  • The Charter’s zoning powers and procedures are removed because they are fully codified in Chapter 400 (Zoning Code).

 

Charter Article X – Public Improvements

The requirements contained in this Charter Article would be removed if Proposition 1 is approved. They are already duplicated in the City’s Purchasing Policy, which would remain in effect.

Charter Provision Removed or Revised	Does the Purchasing Policy Cover It?	Relevant Purchasing Policy Sections
Charter detailed the City’s purchasing authority and method (central purchasing agent).	✅ Yes — Policy Section 1-1 establishes centralized purchasing oversight by the City Manager and Finance Department.	§1-1 (Introduction); §1-2 (Goals)
Procedures for obtaining bids for city contracts and improvements.	✅ Yes — Comprehensive bid procedures exist for goods, services, and public improvements.	§1-7 (Purchasing Requirements); §1-9 to §1-12 (Competitive Bidding, RFP/RFQ Process)
Notice, publication, and opening of bids for public improvements.	✅ Yes — Requires public notice and at least ten (10) business days before bid receipt.	§1-12 (Request for Bid/Proposal)
Award to lowest and best bidder.	✅ Yes — Explicitly included in §1-12 and §1-13. Considers responsibility, past performance, financial capacity, and price.	§1-12 & §1-13
Regulation of conflicts of interest in contracts.	✅ Yes — Policy prohibits purchases from employees or vendors with conflicts of interest; requires disclosure.	§1-3 (General Guidelines A–D); §H (Employee Purchases/Conflicts)
Bonding and bid security requirements for public work.	✅ Yes — Bid and performance bonds are required “as specified” in the RFB/RFP.	§1-12 (Request for Bid/Proposal)
Specification and design requirements for public improvements.	✅ Yes — Policy defines detailed specification types: drawings, dimension sheets, engineering standards.	§1-11 (Types of Specifications A–G)
City’s authority to contract for construction or improvements.	✅ Yes, administratively — Purchasing Policy grants this authority under the City Manager and Purchasing Agent, consistent with Charter §3.	§1-1 & §1-7
Public access to bidding records.	✅ Yes — All bid and purchasing records are public documents.	§M (Public Review)

 

EXAMPLES OF PROPOSED DELETED SECTIONS OF THE CHARTER THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED FOR ADDITION TO THE MUNICIPAL CODE:

Charter Article VII – Finance

• Sections on Budget Preparation and Fiscal Year
  • Several details about budget timelines, public hearings, and appropriations ordinances are removed or condensed in the proposed Charter Amendment.
  • These provisions would be added to the Municipal Code upon passage of Proposition 1.
  • Missouri State Law requires that cities have a designated Budget Officer, an annual budget with specific revenue and expenditure items, provide a balanced budget, and retain documents for public inspection. The City will continue to comply with these requirements.

Charter Article VI - The Municipal Court

• Section 2: Judge
  • The detailed language establishing a two-year term, appointment by the Board of Aldermen, eligibility requirements, removal procedures, and provisions for acting judges are proposed for deletion from the Charter.
  • Standards for the Municipal Court are already contained within the Municipal Code, Chapter 130 – Municipal Court. It is anticipated that the Board of Aldermen will add the qualifications for the Municipal Judge to the Municipal Code on November 11, 2025 and will consider adjusting the length of term and residency requirement for the Municipal Judge if Proposition 1 passes.
  • General provisions related to the eligibility of a Municipal Judge are also contained within Missouri State Law and must be followed by the City of Clayton.

   

EXAMPLES OF A PROPOSED DELETED SECTION OF THE CHARTER THAT IS NO LONGER RELEVANT:

Charter Article IV - Administrative Service

• Section 6: Library Board
  • The provision related to a Library Board will be deleted because the City of Clayton does not have a public library.

This is how Proposition 1 will appear on the November 4, 2025 ballot:

Shall the amendments to the Clayton City Charter as proposed and more fully set forth in ordinance No. 6946 relating to changing the name of the board of aldermen to city council and adopting other gender-neutral language; updating and simplifying administrative and procedural provisions; and clarifying term limits, vacancy elections and compensation procedures for elected officials, be approved?