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DOWDALL LAW OFFICES A PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION ATTORNEYS AT LAW City of Santa Ana August 28, 2023 Page 3 vote of a majority of the full membership of the City Council....' Therefore, enactment of the proposal violates California law and the Santa Ana Charter. Passing the proposal would constitute a change in the Charter but without the required voter approval. The proposed attack on the Charter therefore compromises bedrock principles of a democratic society for sake of appeasing a disgruntled cabal of City leaders. The City would set itself up as a super -legislature that is empowered to override the Charter whenever it suits them. A Pernicious Attitude in Violation of Clear Law Spells Individual Liability ("Voters? We don't need them. Who Needs a Charter When We Can Rule by Edict?") The proponents would say "who needs a Charter when we can rule by edict?" In the United States of America, such despotic control is an effort to overturn our system of government, by overt acts soliciting Council support. Passing the proposed ordinance would usurp the right of the people to determine changes to the Santa Ana charter. The majority vote requirement furthers the safeguarding of democratic a principles of freedom from tyrannical assault. The proposed ordinance is nothing short of a subversion of the democratic ideal of a free government administered in a democratic fashion for and by the people. Santa Ana now proposes to shamelessly subvert and frustrate the most fundamental of the freedoms given to the people of this country -the power to vote. In order to change the requirements of voting in the charter, a vote of the people is required. The proponents of this proposed legislative expressions would do away with the free will of the voters and impose its own dictatorial will on unsuspecting voters. That is unconstitutional and a disgrace to every notion of American democracy. Cal. Const., Art. XI, §3(a) says that a city may adopt charter by majority vote and charter may be amended in same manner must be construed to mean that electorate of city has right, but not obligation, to adopt or amend charter; but if electorate exercises that right, only majority vote, not super majority vote, is required for approval of charter adoption or amendment. ' The Charter May Be Amended Only by Voter Approval. The council cannot change the Charter. This action cannot alter binding democratic ' Prop. of 2-4-63, approved on 4-2-63; Res. No. 63-027; Ord. No. NS-1405, 3-13-78, approved at election 6-6-78; Res. No. 2022-044, 8-2-22, approved at the election 11-8-22 3 Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Ass'n v. City of San Diego (2004) 120 Cal. App. 4th 374, 390-94, 15 Cal. Rptr. 3d 457.