REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Discussion and Possible Direction on Proposed Amendments to Charter Article VI (The Council) to be Submitted to Voters in the March 2020 Election to Implement City Council By-District Elections
Report
BACKGROUND
On June 18, 2018 (RTC No. 19-0362), the City Council voted 6-2 to direct staff to prepare a ballot measure for the March 2020 election amending the City Charter to change the City's electoral system from seven at-large numbered City Council seats to six district seats and an at-large, directly elected mayor.
DISCUSSION
1. Overview of Prior Council Discussions on Proposed Charter Amendments
On September 10, 2019 (RTC No. 19-0798), staff provided an overview of necessary revisions to Article VI and highlighted policy issues requiring Council direction (Attachment 1). The Council approved staff's general approach for the charter amendments of adding provisions necessary to implement district elections for six council districts and a directly-elected mayor, while maintaining existing concepts and principles in the Charter to the extent possible, and requested that staff return with language on the necessary administrative changes, and sample language for the three major policy issues requiring Council direction: mayoral term of office, total term limits, and redistricting.
At the October 8, 2019 Council Meeting (RTC No. 19-1009), staff provided the requested sample language (Attachment 2) for further discussion and potential direction. As requested by the Council, a chart that briefly summarizes Council comments at that meeting on the three policy issues is included as Attachment 3. The Council appeared to have a consensus on the following issues:
(a) Mayor Term Limit. Five Councilmembers (Fong, Goldman, Hendricks, Larsson, Smith) preferred a four-year term for the Mayor. Vice Mayor Melton preferred a two-year term and Mayor Klein was still weighing the two options. Based on the majority preference for a 4-year term, ...
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