The City Charter embodies the fundamental principles of the City, defines the City's powers, duties and boundaries, and guarantees certain rights to the people. The City's first charter was passed by the Territorial Legislature in 1869. The first home rule charter was adopted in 1890, and subsequent charters were passed in 1896 and 1946. The City charter has been amended frequently and reprinted in new editions to reflect changes. All City charters are part of the City Clerk's reference collection.
Ordinances constitute the laws of the City.
They must be passed by the City Council and signed by the Mayor, or passed by the Council over the Mayor's veto. Ordinances also are required to authorize certain actions, as designated in the City Charter. Ordinance files include the text of legislation as well as information on legislative history. All ordinances up to the last two years are available for reference on microfiche. More recent ordinances are available in paper files.