The City of San Buenaventura is one of the oldest settlements on the Pacific Coast. It is the site of the San Buenaventura Mission founded in 1782, and incorporated as a town by the California Legislature on March 10, 1866.

The first Charter of the City was prepared and proposed by a Board of Freeholders elected October 13, 1931. The Charter was approved by the voters on January 7, 1932, certified by the City Council on January 11, 1932, and approved by the State Legislature on January 22, 1932.

Since approval of the original Charter, the voters approved amendments which were certified by City Council on April 19, 1937; December 27, 1938; April 16, 1945; April 14, 1947; April 16, 1951; April 21, 1959; April 20, 1961; April 15, 1963; April 19, 1965; April 17, 1967; and June 17, 1968.

Early in 1970, a Charter Review Committee was formed to evaluate the Charter as it existed at that time. A new Charter was prepared and subsequently approved by the voters on November 3, 1970, certified by the City Council on November 23, 1970, and approved by the California Legislature on January 26, 1971. Then, on November 4, 1973, the voters approved and the City Council certified amendments to the Charter on December 3, 1973. Those amendments were approved by the State Legislature on January 21, 1974.

Early in 1986, a Charter Review Committee was formed to again review the Charter as it existed at that time. A new Charter was prepared and subsequently approved by the voters on November 4, 1986, certified by the City Council on November 24, 1986, and accepted by the Secretary of State on December 4, 1986, the formal effective date of the CHARTER OF THE CITY OF SAN BUENAVENTURA.

Amendments have been approved by the voters to the 1986 Charter:

• The voters approved an amendment to the Charter (Section 1301) on November 7, 1995, and it was certified by the City Council on November 27, 1995.

• On November 4, 2014, the voters approved an amendment to the Charter (Section 500), and it was certified by the City Council on December 15, 2014.

• On November 8, 2016, the voters approved amendments to the Charter (Sections 506, 507, 703 and repealing Article XI) and those amendments were certified by the City Council on December 12, 2016.

• On November 3, 2020, the voters approved an amendment to the Charter (Sections 400 and 1006), and it was certified by the City Council on December 14, 2020.

The following Charter includes all voter-approved amendments to the Charter of the City of San Buenaventura.

CHARTER OF THE CITY OF SAN BUENAVENTURA

We, the people of the City of San Buenaventura, State of California, do ordain and establish this Charter as the organic law of said City under the Constitution of the State of California.