Mountain View voters will see two city measures on the Nov. 3 ballot. Measure F would raise the hotel tax. Measure E is quieter: a cleanup of the City Charter, the voter-approved document that sets the basic rules for how the city runs.

The City Council voted unanimously in June to place it on the ballot, and city staff called the changes "non-substantive" and "non-controversial," the Mountain View Voice reports. It needs a simple majority to pass.

What a yes vote changes

According to the city's impartial analysis, as summarized by the Voice, Measure E would:

  • Give the City Council 60 days, up from 30, to fill a vacant council seat by appointment or by calling a special election.
  • End the requirement that ordinances and resolutions, or their titles, be read aloud before a vote.
  • Require a roll-call vote on ordinances only when a council member asks or state law requires it.
  • Let the council set membership qualifications for boards, commissions and committees it creates by ordinance or resolution. Rules for charter-created bodies, such as the Environmental Planning Commission, Library Board and Parks and Recreation Commission, would stay the same.
  • Clarify that a board or commission acts by a majority of its current members, not counting vacancies, as long as a quorum is seated, and clarify staggered terms.
  • Update a reference in the city's rent control law on the definition of "relocation assistance" to match the current City Code.
  • Replace gender-specific terms with gender-neutral ones, fix typos, define "qualified elector" as state law does, and refer to city records instead of "books."

What a no vote means

The charter stays as it is, with the 30-day vacancy deadline and the reading requirement in place.

Why now

Mountain View adopted its charter in 1952 and last changed it in 2016, when voters approved the city's rent control law, the Voice reports. The city has talked about bigger charter changes but plans to put those to voters separately in 2028.

Who is for and against

The ballot argument in favor was signed by Mayor Emily Ann Ramos, Councilmembers Chris Clark and Lucas Ramirez, Foothill-De Anza trustee Laura Casas and Mountain View Whisman trustee Charles DiFazio. The League of Women Voters of the Los Altos-Mountain View Area also supports it. No formal argument against Measure E was filed, according to county records cited by the Voice.

Also on the Mountain View ballot

Eight candidates are running for three open council seats, the Los Altos Town Crier reports, with no incumbents in the race. Read how the candidates split on RV parking and the Valley Water District 7 race. More measures are in our Election 2026 guide.