ORDINANCE NO. 1809
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE, CALIFORNIA, AMENDING SAN CLEMENTE MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION 2.04.100 RELATED TO MAYOR TERM LIMITS AND REPEALING ORDINANCE NO. 1782 IN PART WHEREAS, in November 2020, Measure BB (Ordinance No. 1691) was placed on the ballot and approved by the voters thereby establishing City Council term limits of two consecutive four-year terms, for a total of eight years, with the ability to again serve as a member of the City Council after being off the City Council for at least two years; WHEREAS, the City of San Clemente transitioned to by-district elections in November 2024 through the adoption of Ordinance No. 1782; and WHEREAS, in November 2024, the electorate of San Clemente elected Council Members in District 3 and District 4; WHEREAS, in November 2026, the electorate of San Clemente will elect Council Members in District 1, District 2 and vote for a Mayor at-large; WHEREAS, the Mayor is a City Council Member; and
WHEREAS, in November 2026, with the election of a Mayor at-large, the Mayor will serve a two-year term; and WHEREAS, in November 2026, with the election of a Mayor at-large, the City Council desires to clarify that the Mayor term limits shall be consistent with term limits established by the voters for all members of the City Council.
NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of San Clemente, California, hereby ordains as follows:
SECTION 1: Section 2.04.100 of the Municipal Code of the City of San Clemente shall be modified to read as follows (strike throughs are deletions and underlines are additions):
Pursuant to California Government Code sections 34886 and 34871(c), commencing with the November 2024 general municipal election, the members of the San Clemente City Council shall be elected by-districts in four (4) singlemember districts with an elective at-large Mayor.
Each Councilmember in Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4 shall serve a term of four years subject to the term limit set forth in section 2.04.090.
The Mayor shall be elected at large by the people of San Clemente and shall serve a term of two years. , with a life-time term limit of three full terms, and without the ability to run for Mayor again after completing three full terms. As a member of the City Council, the Mayor shall also be subject to the term limit set forth in section 2.04.090, which is to be read as consistently as possible given the elected Mayor’s two-year term. For example, even as Mayor, no person shall be eligible to serve in the office of a City Council Member for more than eight consecutive years. Partial Mayoral terms (less than two years), shall not count toward the limit. After eight consecutive years in service, as with other members of the City Council, the Mayor shall not again be eligible for election or appointment as a member of the City Council unless and until not less than two years has or will have elapsed between the most recent date of such person's prior service as a member of the City Council and the effective date of such person's most recent election or appointment to such office.
SECTION 2: Ordinance No. 1782 is hereby repealed in part only to the extent that it is inconsistent with the provisions of this ordinance and shall otherwise remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 3: If any part of this ordinance is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional by a court of competent jurisdiction, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining parts of the ordinance. The City declares that it would have adopted this ordinance, and each part of it, irrespective of the possibility that some part or parts of it might be declared invalid or unconstitutional.
SECTION 4: The City Clerk shall certify to the passage of this ordinance and cause the same to be published as required by law, and the same shall take effect as provided by law.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this _____day of _________________, 2026.
ATTEST:
_______________________________ ___________________________ City Clerk of the City of Rick Loeffler, Mayor of the City of San Clemente, California San Clemente, California
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF ORANGE ) ss.
CITY OF SAN CLEMENTE )
I, Laura Campagnolo, City Clerk of the City of San Clemente, California, hereby certify that Ordinance No. 1809 having been regularly introduced at the meeting of _______________________, was again introduced, the reading in full thereof unanimously waived, and duly passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council held on the _____day of _____________, _______, and said ordinance was adopted by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of San Clemente, California, this _____ day of ______________________, ________. __________________________
CITY CLERK of the City of
San Clemente, California
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
____________________________
Elizabeth A. Mitchell, City Attorney
Ordinance No. 1809 Page 2
Attachment 1