BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — A Kern County Supervisors meeting became contentious Tuesday as public comments centered on the potential adoption of a county charter.
A speaker strongly opposed the initiative, arguing, “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 expressed frustration with the timing of their speaking opportunity, exclaiming, “You put the clock on when I came up!” The meeting was temporarily halted, and the speaker was escorted out by deputies. After the meeting resumed, Supervisor Philip Peters apologized for the oversight in starting the timer, clarifying that all speakers are allotted two minutes. Peters noted that previous speakers had used less than their allotted time, despite the timer not being activated.
The charter county initiative, first presented to the board in Nov. 2025, is modeled after the Shasta County charter. A charter allows a county to tailor its governance structure to fit its unique needs, enabling supervisors to set compensation, terms, and removal of board members, along with determining which offices will be elected or appointed.
Currently, Kern is a general law county, meaning its governmental structure is determined by the state constitution and general law.
Other charter counties in California include Los Angeles, Fresno, and Sacramento. The transition could cost up to $3.4 million. During the meeting, supervisors unanimously voted in favor of putting the proposal on the ballot, meaning voters will decide whether to approve it in a June 2 primary election.