Agenda Item #17.4
For Council Meeting of: December 13, 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SUE GALLAGHER, CITY ATTORNEY CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SUBJECT: ELECTION OF MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR AGENDA ACTION: MOTION
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the City Attorney that, following the induction of new Council members and the election of a Mayor, the Council elect a Vice Mayor in accordance with Section 15 of the Santa Rosa City Charter and Section XII of the City Council Manual of Procedures and Protocols.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Section 6 of the Santa Rosa City Charter requires that, following the certification of election results, new Council members shall be inducted into office and the newly constituted Council shall elect one of its members to serve as Mayor for a two-year term, after which, the Council shall elect one of its members to serve as Vice Mayor for a one-year term. Section 15 of the City Charter and Section XII of the City Council Manual of Procedures and Protocols provides the process for the election of Mayor and Vice Mayor.
BACKGROUND
Following the certification of election results, outgoing Council members leave the dais and newly elected Council members take their Constitutional Oath of Office and then assume their seats at the dais.
City Charter Section 15 further requires that once a Mayor is selected, the Council shall choose one of its members as Vice Mayor, for a term of one year or until a successor is chosen.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
No prior action was taken.
ANALYSIS
Section XII of the Manual of Procedures and Protocols establishes the following procedure for the election of Vice Mayor:
The newly elected Mayor acts as the Presiding Officer and calls for nominations for a new Vice Mayor from the floor.
Each nomination must receive a second and be accepted by the nominee prior to a vote on the nomination.
If only one Council Member has been nominated, the Presiding Officer shall declare that individual to be elected Vice Mayor by unanimous consent. If two or more Council Members have been nominated, election of the Vice Mayor will be by process of elimination.
If two or more Councilmembers have been nominated, election of the Vice Mayor shall be by process of eliminations as follows: Each Council Member shall vote by roll call for a number of nominees that equals one less that then total number of nominees. Nominees receiving one vote or less shall be eliminated. Subsequent votes shall be taken by roll call with each Council Member voting for one less nominee than voted for in the previous round. Only nominees not eliminated may be voted upon.
Once a single nominee receives a majority vote, the Presiding Officer shall declare that nominee the newly elected Vice Mayor.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of this action does not have a fiscal impact on the General Fund. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 - Section XII of the City Council Manual of Procedures and Protocols
CONTACT
Stephanie Williams, City Clerk, 543-3016, [email protected] ELECTION OF VICE MAYOR PAGE 2 OF 3
ELECTION OF VICE MAYOR PAGE 2 OF 3