Shawnee, Oklahoma, March 23, 2023 – Residents of Shawnee will have the opportunity to vote on important propositions affecting the City’s Charter.  A June 13, 2023 citywide vote has been approved by the Shawnee City Commission to present the amendments to the citizens.

“The City of Shawnee is proposing updates to its City Charter that provide alignment with State law, applicable Federal law, and existing City codes,” said Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer, City Manager. “The proposals are more of common practices to increase efficiency in City operations and offer a uniform approach to municipal processes.”

The topics addressed by the propositions include:

• Ward-specific voting for commissioners
• Streamlining the bidding process
• Clarifying the start date for newly elected Mayor and Commissioners
• Updating requirements for City employees
• Aligning conflict-of-interest policies
• Updating the Recreational Use Policy for Shawnee Twin Lakes
• Updating the policy for Cemetery Perpetual Care

If the vote is to adopt the Charter amendments, the Charter updates would then be submitted to the Governor for his approval. The Governor would review the Charter for any conflicts with the Constitution and laws of Oklahoma. After gubernatorial approval is secured, the Charter would become the governing law of the City of Shawnee and supersede any existing Charter and ordinances in conflict with it.

If you have questions about the City Charter vote on June 13, or need more information, visit https://www.shawneeok.org/government/mayor_and_city_commission/2023_charter_election/index.php for Frequently Asked Questions on this topic or contact Andrea Weckmueller-Behringer, City Manager, City of Shawnee at (405) 878-1601 or Andrea.Weckmueller-Behringer@ShawneeOK.org.