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CITY OF GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA
REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA ITEM
Report: Review of Mayoral Selection Policy Set Forth in Glendale Municipal Code Section
2.04.020
1. Motion to Note and File Report and Direct Staff
COUNCIL ACTION
Item Type: Action Item
Approved for March 26, 2024 calendar
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Council adopted Ordinance No. 5963 on March 30, 2021, which amended Glendale Municipal Code section 2.04.020 relating to the process for the annual selection of the Mayor. Generally, Section 2.04.020 provides that, during the April mayor selection, the councilmember with the longest continuous service since last serving as Mayor shall be appointed Mayor. Section 2.04.020 provides certain rules regarding tiebreakers, as well as certain exceptions to the appointment of the councilmember with the longest continuous service. At its March 12, 2024 regular meeting, the Council requested a review of the mayoral selection process.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that Council note and file the report and provide direction as desired.
ANALYSIS
As amended by Ordinance No. 5963, Glendale Municipal Code section 2.04.020 establishes the process for the annual selection of the Mayor. In its entirety, it provides:
“2.04.020 Selection of Mayor
A. Pursuant to Article VI, section 5(4) of the Charter, the council shall annually select one of its members to be the mayor, in accordance with the procedures set forth herein. The date and times for appointment shall be during the first regular meeting of the council after the first Monday in April of each year. The mayor shall serve as presiding officer and perform the other duties of mayor at the pleasure of the council.
B. The council shall select and appoint a mayor to serve for the upcoming year in the following order of precedence:
1. The councilmember with the longest, continuous uninterrupted service on the council since last serving as mayor, and who is not serving as the mayor at the time of mayoral selection, shall be selected as mayor.
2. ln the event of a tie between councilmembers with the longest continuous service since last serving as mayor as set forth in subsection (B)(1), the councilmember who received the most votes in the councilmembers' most recent election shall be selected mayor. In the event the tie is between councilmembers who were elected during different elections, then the councilmember with the highest percentage of votes received in each councilmembers' most recent elections to the City Council shall be selected mayor.
Notwithstanding the election votes tiebreakers set forth in this subsection (B)(2), if either tiebreaker would result in a councilmember who has previously served as mayor since being elected to the council being appointed over a councilmember of equal continuous uninterrupted service who has never served as mayor since being elected to the council, then the councilmember who has not previously served as mayor shall be appointed mayor.
3. In the event that the procedure set forth in subsections (B)(1) and (2) do not control the selection of mayor, the council shall select the mayor by majority vote.
C. A councilmember whose council term will expire in the same year that the mayor's term would also expire if said councilmember was selected mayor shall not be selected to serve as mayor. A councilmember whose council term will expire within 180 days after the date of the selection of the mayor shall not be selected mayor.
D. A councilmember who has served as a mayor shall not be appointed mayor 3{{section.number}}c
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for the immediately subsequent term, unless all other councilmembers decline to serve.
E. If a councilmember is in line to be selected mayor in accordance with the procedures of this section but is unable or unwilling to serve as mayor at the time of selection, then the council shall select the next councilmember in line and the councilmember who is unwilling or unable to be the Mayor shall be placed next in line for mayoral appointment under the procedure in subsection (B)(2).
F. If a councilmember who is serving as mayor vacates or is removed from the mayoral position or from his or her council position, the council may fill the vacancy of mayor by selecting and appointing any councilmember to fill said unexpired term. The councilmember selected pursuant to this subsection shall not be prejudiced or prevented from serving a scheduled term pursuant to the provisions of this section.
G. A councilmember appointed to the council to fill a vacancy in accordance with Article VI, Section 13 of the Charter shall not serve as mayor during such appointed term unless there is no available alternative. Under circumstances with no available alternatives, the appointed councilmember(s) having served the longest in such temporary capacity shall serve as mayor in accordance with the provisions set forth in this chapter.
H. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, in the event the council determines in its discretion that it is in the best interest of the city not to appoint the councilmember next in line to serve as mayor in accordance with the procedure of this section, including but not limited to because of reason of mental or physical incapacity significantly limiting the ability to perform mayoral duties or a criminal conviction, then the council may appoint the next qualified councilmember pursuant to subsection (B)(2) to serve as mayor.”
The Council requested a review of the rotation policy set forth in section 2.04.020. Staff seeks Council input and direction.
STAKEHOLDERS/OUTREACH
N/A.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this report.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW (CEQA/NEPA)
This activity involves organizational and administrative activities of the government related to the process for selecting the mayor, and such internal procedural changes have no potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment. As such, this action is not a “project” subject to the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 14 Cal. Code Regs § 15378.
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CAMPAIGN DISCLOSURE
This item is exempt from campaign disclosure requirements.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Not applicable.
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
Submitted by:
Michael J. Garcia, City Attorney
Prepared by:
Michael J. Garcia, City Attorney
Approved by:
Roubik R. Golanian, P.E., City Manager
EXHIBITS/ATTACHMENTS