A Kern County Supervisors meeting turned contentious Tuesday as public comments focused on a proposed county charter.
One speaker strongly opposed the initiative, stating, “No to the Kern County charter initiative. While it’s presented as a plan to improve efficiency, this charter actually centralizes power in a small group of leaders, reducing transparency and limiting public accountability … This initiative is another invitation to more greed on the Kern County initiative, we are saying no!”
The speaker also criticized the timing of their public comment, exclaiming, “You put the clock on when I came up!” The meeting was briefly paused, and deputies escorted the speaker out. After the meeting resumed, Supervisor Philip Peters apologized for the timer issue, clarifying that all speakers are given two minutes. Peters noted that earlier speakers had used less than their full time, despite the timer not being activated.
The charter initiative, first presented to the board in November 2025, is modeled after Shasta County’s charter. A county charter allows local governments to customize their structure, giving supervisors authority over compensation, terms, removal of board members, and decisions on which offices are elected or appointed.
Currently, Kern operates as a general law county, meaning its structure is governed by the state constitution and general law. Other charter counties in California include Los Angeles, Fresno, and Sacramento.
The transition to a charter government could cost up to $3.4 million. During the meeting, supervisors unanimously voted to place the proposal on the ballot, allowing voters to decide on its approval in the June 2 primary election.