Joint Special Council/BFPD
03/7/22 07:00 PM
City Manager Department
Matthew Summers
Resolution
Doc ID: 4959
AGENDA ITEM
AGENDA MATTER:
POTENTIAL TRANSITION TO FIVE VOTING DISTRICTS: CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION NO. _____-2022 SUBMITTING BALLOT MEASURE TO REPEAL MEASURE G AND
CONVERT DIRECTLY ELECTED OFFICE OF MAYOR INTO AN APPOINTED MAYOR POSITION FROM AMONG FIVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ELECTED BY-DISTRICT TO THE CITY’S VOTERS AT THE NOVEMBER 8, 2022 GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Council is considering whether the City should submit a measure to the City’s voters asking whether to continue with a system in which the Mayor is elected at-large by the voters or revert to a five-members elected by-districts City Council with the Mayor appointed by the City Council from among its five members.
DISCUSSION:
The City is a general law city. The Mayor of a general law city is usually selected by a vote of members of the City Council pursuant to Government Code section 36801. However, general law cities may establish a system for direct election of the Mayor by voters, with voter approval.
In 1976, voters adopted a Measure G, a ballot measure that approved direct election of the Mayor. The City Council adopted Resolution 1941-1976 declaring that the Office of Mayor of the City of Barstow would be a separately elected position with a two-year term. In 1984, voters adopted a ballot measure changing the term of Mayor from two years to four years. That same year, the City Council adopted Resolution 2623-1984, declaring the results of that election and that the Mayor’s term would be four years. Under Section 2.54.020 of the Municipal Code, the office of the Mayor of the City of Barstow is a separate office and elected directly by the voters of the City. Under the current system, there are four members of City Council, who are elected by district, and the Mayor, who is elected at-large by the voters of the City.
Under Government Code section 34902 the City Council of a general law city may submit to the voters the question of whether or not to eliminate the elective office of mayor and reestablish the procedure of electing five City Council Members by districts and then selecting the mayor by the city council from among its members.
The City Council is now considering whether the City should continue with an elected Mayor or revert to a five-member City Council, with the Mayor chosen on a rotational basis. The attached resolution directs that the question be placed on the ballot. Staff advises that if the Council decides to adopt the resolution that the ballot language be adopted as stated in the resolution, to substantially match language statutorily required in Government Code Section 34901.
The current Mayor of Barstow was elected in November 2020. If the voters decide at the November 2022 election that the Office of the Mayor will return to a Council appointment and not be directly elected, then the City will complete a redistricting process to draw a new Council districts map with five Council districts before the November 2024 election. Then, implementing the voters’ direction, when the current Mayor’s term ends in 2024, the Mayor's seat would return to a regular Council seat, a new District 5, to be contested at the 2024 election together with the City Council seats in Districts 3 and 4 each for a four- Joint Special Council/BFPD
03/7/22 07:00 PM
City Manager Department
Matthew Summers
Resolution
Doc ID: 4959
AGENDA ITEM
year term. After that, the then-newly seated City Council would appoint a Mayor from among its membership.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Staff has not yet estimated the cost of placing a measure on the ballot for the November 2022 election.
The City will incur some costs for the election regardless, as the November 8, 2022 election is the next regular general municipal election.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Staff recommends the City Council consider whether to adopt a Resolution ordering the submission to the qualified electors of the City a measure regarding whether to transition from an election system with four by-district councilmembers and a mayor elected at-large to an election system with five by-district councilmembers at the general municipal election to be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022.