Town Charter & Structure

The Town of Frisco became a home ruled municipality in August of 1988. The members of the Home Rule Charter Commission of the Town of Frisco, Colorado, submited a Home Rule Charter, which was framed in conformity with Article XX of the Colorado Constitution and the Municipal Home Rule Act of 1971, as amended.

The Commission members sought to prepare a Charter which provided a structure for the effective and efficient conduct of the Town government, and which also provided for the fullest possible participation in the affairs of the Town by every member of the community.

In keeping with these goals, the Charter vests all legislative powers in a Town Council composed of a Mayor and six Council members elected at large for four-year overlapping terms. To enhance opportunities for service on the Council and to encourage fresh leadership, limitations are placed on the number of consecutive terms that may be served. The Council is required to maintain and update a comprehensive Master Plan of the Town, and to review all ordinances of a general and permanent nature at least once every five (5) years. Financial interest prohibitions and conflict of interest provisions are included.

The form of government provided by the Charter is a “Council-Mayor-Manager” form. Executive and administrative responsibilities are to be exercised by the Town Manager, who is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Council.

The Commission members recognize that the Charter is a document of limitation on the home rule powers available to the Town and its citizens, and so have sought to include in the Charter important protections for the citizens. Provisions guaranteeing the citizen rights of initiative, referendum, and recall are included. Other protections include a mandatory public hearing on the proposed budget and on the recommended five-year capital program each year, the publication of ordinances, an annual independent audit, limitations on annual property tax revenue increases, voter approval for increases in sales and use tax rates, and limitations on and disclosure concerning the incurring of debt.

Other matters covered in the Charter include Council procedures, powers, and duties; legal and judiciary; methods of Council action by ordinance, resolution, and motion; elections; finance and budget; taxation; borrowing; improvement districts; utilities; franchises; and transitional provisions.

The Commission believed that this Charter provided a structure for a responsible government for the Town of Frisco, now and in the future, that maintained and enhanced the quality of life of the citizens, continued the growth and progress of the Town, and continued to be responsive to the needs and concerns of the citizens.