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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-24 Submitting to Voters Proposed Amendment to Article 8 Section 2RESOLUTION NO.2024-24 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND SUBMITTING TO THE VOTERS AT THE NOVEMBER 5, 2024 ELECTION A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE VIII, SECTION 2. NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND, OREGON, RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City Council submits to the qualified voters of the City the question of approving or rejecting an amendment to the Ashland Municipal Charter to amend Article VIII, Section 2 to an Open Seat Election format. SECTION 2. The City Council refers this question to the ballot of November 5, 2024. SECTION 3. The City Recorder shall cause to be delivered to the Elections Officer of Jackson County, Oregon, the attached ballot measure notice, not later than 81 days prior to the election. The Election Officer is requested to give notice to the electorate of the City that the election shall be conducted by mail, pursuant to Oregon law; SECTION 4. The City Recorder shall give notice of the election as provided in the laws of the State of Oregon and the Charter and ordinances of the City of Ashland. SECTION 5. The ballot title for this measure is set forth in Exhibit A, attached. SECTION 6. The proposed amendment to the City Charter is set forth in Exhibit B, attached. SECTION 7. The City Attorney is authorized to alter the language of the ballot title only for the purpose of complying with any rules, procedures, and practices of the Election Officer of Jackson County to implement the requirements of Oregon law, but shall make no changes to the Charter amendment language in Exhibit B without the consent of the Council. This resolution is referred to the electors of the city of Ashland for approval at the Primary Election in Jackson County, set to occur on November 5, 2024. This resolution is effective upon signing by the mayor. ADOPTED by the City Council this 6th day of August , 2024. ATTEST: S GNED and AfPROVED this day of , 20241 A&#,o- Alissa Kolodzinski, City Recor r'yonyattraharn, Mayor Reviewed as to form: �rmel ahr , Assistant City Attorney EXHIBIT A (Ballot Title) Ballot Title: Ashland Charter Amendment: Open Seat Election Question: Shall the City change its Charter election protocol to have an open seat election for City Council? A "Yes" vote for this measure amends the City Charter to remove the requirement that candidates for City Council run for designated seat positions 1 through 6. Instead, candidates for City Council will run for any one of three open Council seats each biennial general election. The three highest vote recipients will be elected to the three open Council seats. If there are more than three open seats, the remaining open seats will be filled by the next subsequent vote earners. A "No" vote for this measure maintains the existing language in the City Charter, which requires Council members to designate the number of the Council seat to which they seek election. (Explanatory Statement) The current City Charter requires candidates to designate the number of the Council seat (1 through 6) to which they seek election. As a result, candidates only run for election against another candidate or candidates who seek that same specific Council seat number. The change will allow candidates to run for any of the three open Council seats that are open for election every four years. The candidates who receive the three greatest number of votes will receive a full -term seat. An "unexpired" seat refers to a Council seat that is on the ballot due to a prior vacancy and that is for the remaining two years of the term, since Ashland operates on a biennial election cycle. The change provides that, after the three highest vote earners have been delegated to the full -term seats, the next highest vote recipient or recipients shall fill the remaining unexpired Council seat or seats for the remaining two years of the unexpired term. If a voter selects on their ballot more Council members than there are open Council positions, that voter's selections shall be disregarded. EXHIBIT B The following amendments are proposed to the Ashland City Charter. Only these articles and sections as delineated herein are amended by this Resolution. Except for otherwise proposed amendments to the Charter by separate resolution and Ballot Title, all other language in the Charter shall be unchanged. Annotated to show deletions and additionsto the Ashland Municipal Code sections being modified. Deletions are gq, and additions are bold underlined. PART 1 ARTICLE VIII - COUNCIL Section 2. Composition. The Council shall be composed of six (6) Council members elected in the City at large and by position numben Eaeh position shall bear a number- running from .... t!!*I eleetion; > one eandidate may only run for one position nt an eleetion. The Couneil fandf 1974 shall be assigned seat numbers 2, 4 and 6. Within the seope of the fi!!I1T71�l�'�S!!'!'lliTl.T. . assigned to the ineumbent Conned . During each biennial general election as set forth in Article V, voters shall cast their ballot for up to three Council members. In the event of a biennial election in which an unexpired Council seat is on the ballot due to a vacancy, per Article III, Section 4 of this Charter, three Council members shall be elected in addition to the number of unexpired Council seats. The three highest vote recipients shall fill the three four-year biennial terms, and the next highest vote recipient or recipients shall fill the remaining unexpired Council seat or seats. Citizens may cast ballots for up to as many Council seats as are up for election. If a voter selects on their ballot more Council members than there are open Council positions, that voter's selections for Council members shall be disregarded.