title
CHARTER LAW AMENDMENTS TO MOVE CITY ELECTIONS TO THE FALL OF EVEN-NUMBERED YEARS COINCIDING WITH STATEWIDE ELECTIONS, AND TO TRANSITION TO 4-YEAR CITY COMMISSION TERMS (B)
Ordinance No. 160876
An ordinance of the City of Gainesville, Florida; proposing an amendment to the Charter Laws of the City of Gainesville; amending Article II of the Charter Laws, entitled "City Commission", by requiring regular municipal elections to be held every other year in even-numbered years coinciding with statewide elections rather than every year, by changing the terms of office of the Mayor and City Commissioners from 3-year terms to 4-year terms, by providing transitional terms of office at specified lengths to achieve the changes; by specifying the commencement date of terms of office; providing for submission of the charter amendment to the voters for approval or disapproval at the November 6, 2018 election; approving the question to be placed on the ballot; providing that this charter amendment shall become effective if approved by the voters; providing directions to the codifier; providing directions to the clerk of the commission; providing a severability clause; providing a repealing clause; and providing an immediate effective date.
recommendation
The City Commission adopt the proposed ordinance.
explanation
At the regular City Commission meeting of July 20, 2017 the Commission asked the City Attorney to prepare for further discussion a proposed charter amendment that would include 1) moving City elections to the fall of even-numbered years with the City's regular election being held at the time of the statewide primary election and a run-off to be held, if necessary, at the time of the statewide general election in November; 2) changing the terms from 3 years to 4 years and maintaining a two consecutive term limit; and 3) developing a transition plan for the terms if the charter amendment were to pass. On August 17, 2017, the City Attorney's Office provided a presentation regarding the potential elections-related changes, various transition schedules, and analyses of similar proposals made at the statewide level. On October 5, 2017, the City Commission provided further policy direction concerning the proposed charter amendments, specifically the plan to transition the terms of office for the Mayor and City Commissioner seats and establishing that the 4-year terms of office would commence with the first regular City Commission meeting of the calendar year following each election. These amendments are proposed with the intent of encouraging greater voter participation, and effecting cost savings for the City by coinciding City elections with statewide elections, thus eliminating stand-alone regular and run-off City elections and reducing the number of regular and run-off City elections by one-half.
Per Section 5.01 of the City Charter, a charter amendment may be proposed by an ordinance adopted by a four-fifths vote of the City Commission (i.e., approved by 6 of the 7 Commissioners).
If this ordinance is so approved by the City Commission, the proposed charter amendment will be placed on the ballot of the November 6, 2018 statewide general election. Pursuant to State law, the amendment must be clearly stated in a ballot question. By law, the number of words for the ballot question cannot exceed 75. The ballot question is stated in Section 2 of this ordinance. The Charter Amendment will not be effective unless approved by affirmative vote of a majority of the votes cast by the electors of the City of Gainesville at the November 6, 2018 election.
This ordinance requires two readings.