TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor Name of City Protocols for Selection of Mayor and/or Vice Mayor Sebastopol To make a nomination, Council members need only state “I nominate ”. Nominations do not require seconds at this time. When there are no more nominations, current Mayor/ will declare nominations for the position of Mayor closed and conduct the following procedures:
Election of Mayor (Current Mayor will call for nominations for the Office of Mayor) Nominations Received
Public Comment
Council Comments (if any)
Vote (taken beginning with the first nominee): Nomination requires a second for voting. If first nominee motion fails; the second nominee will be voted on; this will occur until such time that there a motion is approved Gavel is transferred to Mayor
Election of Mayor Pro Tempore (Vice Mayor) (Newly Elected Mayor will call for nominations for Office of Vice Mayor) Nominations Received
Public Comment
Council Comments (if any)
Vote (taken beginning with the first nominee): Nomination requires a second for voting. If first nominee motion fails; the second nominee will be voted on; this will occur until such time that there a motion is approved
OTHER SONOMA COUNTY CITIES
Cloverdale The Mayor and Vice Mayor are elected for a one-year term by a majority of the City Council. This typically takes place at the first meeting in December or the meeting at which the new Council is sworn in, as applicable. The position of Mayor is not typically filled by the same person for more than one year at a time. However, there is nothing to preclude this from occurring, and there is no limit to the number of times a Council member may be elected as Mayor. The role of Vice Mayor is an opportunity, especially for Council members in their first term of office, to experience on an occasional basis the responsibilities of the Mayor. As a result, the Vice Mayor is typically elected to be the Mayor in the following year. No Council member is required to serve as Mayor or Vice Mayor unless s/he desires it.
Cotati The Mayor and Vice Mayor will be elected by a majority vote of a quorum of the City Council. The City Council shall consider the election of the Mayor and Vice Mayor for one (1) year terms at the first regular meeting in December of each year, following certification of election results and seating of new City Councilmembers if applicable. The newly appointed Mayor and Vice Mayor positions will be effective on January 1, each year.
Healdsburg Nominations
The Presiding Officer shall call for nominations from the dais for Mayor and Vice Mayor. The Presiding Officer, at his/her discretion, may call for separate nominations. Each nomination must receive a second and be accepted by the nominee prior to a vote on the nomination.
Voting
If only one Councilmember is nominated for Mayor and Vice Mayor, the Presiding Officer shall call for a vote on the nomination. If two or more Councilmembers are nominated for each of the positions and those nominations receive a second and are accepted by the nominees, the Presiding Officer shall ask for separate votes on each of the nominations.
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor In the event that separate nominations are called for Mayor and Vice Mayor the same voting procedure shall be followed. If the incumbent Mayor is no longer on the Council, the newly selected Mayor will assume the role of Presiding Officer immediately following the selection. If the incumbent Mayor is on the Council and during non-election years; the Mayor and Vice Mayor term will be effective the first of the year.
Petaluma Mayor – Voted upon by Members of the Public in election.
Vice Mayor: The Vice Mayor shall be selected at the first meeting in January and shall serve for a one-year term. The selection shall be based on seniority. In the case of newly seated Council members, their seniority shall be established by the number of votes received at the time of their election. If a Council member does not accept the appointment, the member's name shall go back to the bottom of the seniority list. No member of the Council shall serve a second term until all other members of the Council have had an opportunity to serve.
Rohnert Park The Mayor and Vice Mayor will be elected by three (3) affirmative votes of the City Council. In years when members of the City Council are to be elected, the City Council shall consider the election of a Mayor and Vice Mayor for one (1) year terms at the first regular meeting after certification of the general election results has been received by the City. In years when no members of the City Council are to be elected, the City Council shall consider the election of the Mayor and Vice Mayor for one (1) year terms at the second regular meeting in November of each year or no later than the succeeding meeting.
Santa Rosa THIS POLICY IS UNDER REVIEW BY CITY OF SANTA ROSA CITY COUNCIL XII. MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR: ELECTION/RESPONSIBILITY
1. The Mayor is elected for a two-year term immediately following the installation of newly-elected Councilmembers. In accordance with the City Charter, a Councilmember may not serve consecutive terms as Mayor. If a Mayor fails to complete a full term, the Council member elected to fill out the remainder of the unexpired term shall not be barred from serving a consecutive term as Mayor thereafter if the remaining term filled was one year or less.
2. The Vice Mayor is elected annually for a one-year term. The Council, at the time it selects a Mayor and during each November in odd numbered years, shall choose one of their number Vice-Mayor, who shall serve as Mayor in the absence, sickness, or other disability of the Mayor.
The Vice Mayor is not a natural ascendancy to Mayor and there is no rotation system for selecting the Mayor or the Vice Mayor. Nominations for and election of the Vice Mayor shall follow the procedures set forth in paragraph C below.
3. ELECTION OF MAYOR AND VICE MAYOR
Nominations
At the same meeting and immediately following the installation of newly- elected Councilmembers, the Presiding Officer shall call for nominations from the floor for Mayor. The nomination must receive a second and be accepted by the nominee prior to a vote on the nomination.
Voting
If only one Councilmember has been nominated, the Presiding Officer shall declare that individual to be elected Mayor by unanimous consent. If two or more Councilmembers have been nominated, election of the Mayor will be by process of elimination. Each Councilmember shall vote by ballot for a number of nominees that equals one less than the total number of nominees. Those nominees receiving one vote or less shall be eliminated. Subsequent votes shall be taken by ballot with each Councilmember 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 individual to be elected Mayor. The Presiding Officer shall then pass the gavel to the newly-elected Mayor, who shall assume the role of Presiding Officer.
Immediately following election of the Mayor and during each November in odd numbered years, the same procedure shall be followed for election of the Vice Mayor.
Following the election of the Mayor and Vice Mayor, and at such other times as the Mayor deems it necessary, the Mayor shall establish the dais seating arrangement of the Councilmembers. The Vice Mayor shall always be seated immediately next to the Mayor.
The Mayor and Vice Mayor are peers of, and serve at the pleasure of, the other Councilmembers.
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor The City Charter gives the Mayor additional authority and responsibility.
7. Council committee and liaison assignments are reviewed and made annually by the Mayor. The Mayor may, subject to the approval of the Council, appoint such committees of Councilmembers, City staff, and private citizens, or a combination thereof, as he/she deems necessary and expedient to assist and advise the Council in its work
8. In January of each year, the Mayor will submit his/her recommendations for Chairs of the boards, commissions, and advisory committees for ratification by the Council. The Chairs will take their seats at their first meeting on or after February 1st.
9. Prior to March 1st of each year, the Mayor will develop a “State of the City” report for presentation to civic groups and posting on the City’s web site.
10. The Mayor will meet with the Chairs of the boards, commissions, and advisory committees on a monthly basis in an effort to share information and coordinate efforts.
11. Proclamations are issued and/or scheduled for presentation at a City Council meeting at the discretion of the Mayor.
Sonoma Has No Formal Protocols/Uses Nomination/Motion Approval Process Windsor Every December or when an unscheduled vacancy occurs, the Council shall select one of its members as Vice Mayor/ Uses Nomination/Motion Approval Process
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER CALIFORNIA CITIES:
Option
Arcata The Council rotates/selects the Mayor and Vice Mayor each year on the Thursday immediately following the second Wednesday in December. The City Council believes that experience as a Councilmember will assist those who are selected to serve as Mayor or Vice Mayor, and has outlined a process that provides Councilmembers an opportunity to gain experience in cycles of governing prior to assuming their respective offices.
Rotation to Vice Mayor is based on the length of time a councilmember has served since last being elected mayor and if needed the total vote count of his/her last election and works as follows:
The Vice Mayor rotates to the position of Mayor.
The member with the most continuous time of service on the Council who has not previously served as Mayor will be selected as Vice Mayor.
If two or more members have equal time of continuous service, the member who received the highest number of votes at his/her election shall be selected.
If a Councilmember is appointed to fill a mid‐term vacancy, that Councilmember will go to the bottom of the rotational list.
Incumbent Councilmembers, when re‐elected, do not begin anew at the bottom of the list, but rather retain their placement in the rotation.
A Councilmember may decline to serve as Mayor or Vice Mayor. In this case, the office would pass to the next Councilmember on the list. The Councilmember who declined may drop back one position in the rotation.
When the Council reorganizes, the outgoing Mayor will nominate the Vice Mayor to succeed him/her. The newly appointed Mayor will then nominate the next Councilmember in the rotational sequence to serve as Vice Mayor for the coming year.
The process described above shall guide the Council’s selection of the Mayor and Vice Mayor; however, a majority of the City Council retains the authority to disregard the process and select any member of the City Council for these positions.
Atherton The city council shall meet at least annually to choose one of its members as mayor and one of its members as vice mayor The term of office of the mayor and vice mayor shall be one year. No member shall serve as mayor or vice mayor for consecutive terms ATTACHMENT 1 TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 12 SELECTION OF MAYOR/VICE MAYOR
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor The City Clerk shall declare the office of Mayor vacant and ask for nominations for the position of Mayor.
Any Council Member may nominate someone other than herself or himself for the position.
Nominations do not require a second.
When it appears that no further nominations will be made, the City Clerk shall announce that the nominations are closed.
If only one Council member has been nominated, the City Clerk shall call for a vote on the nomination.
The nominated Council Member must receive three affirmative votes to be selected as Mayor.
If more than one Council Member has been nominated, the City Clerk shall call for a vote of the first person nominated.
If that candidate receives three or more votes, the City Clerk shall declare that candidate selected as Mayor and the voting concludes.
If not, the City Clerk shall call for a vote for the second candidate in the same manner.
The candidate receiving three or more votes shall be declared the Mayor.
Same Process for Vice Mayor.
Del Mar In choosing the Mayor and Deputy Mayor, it is the tradition of the Council to place the two highest vote getters in any one election into a queue to rotate into the position of Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
Appointments for the role of Mayor and Deputy Mayor require three affirmative votes of the City Council. The appointed Mayor and Deputy Mayor will serve in these roles for a one-year period.
Fairfax Each year at the first Town Council meeting in December, the Fairfax Town Council rotates the positions of Mayor and Vice Mayor, selecting from among its members the new Mayor and Vice Mayor for the next 12 months. The objective is to provide an opportunity for all councilmembers to serve as Mayor and/or Vice Mayor during their term of office.
The Council has complete discretion in selecting which of its members will fill these two positions.
Typically, for the Mayor position, the current Vice Mayor is selected.
The Vice Mayor position is generally filled by the councilmember for whom the greatest amount of time has passed since she or he last served as Mayor, or by the newest Councilmember who has served for at least one year Hayward In even number years, the Council shall elect the Mayor Pro Tempore following the installation of those newly elected Council Members. In odd years, the Council shall elect the Mayor Pro Tempore at the end of the calendar year.
The Mayor Pro Tempore shall serve at the pleasure of the Council for the term of one year and shall be elected and removed by the affirmative votes of at least five members of Council.
The Council shall elect a Council Member with the most seniority as a Council Member and who has not previously served as Mayor Pro Tempore. In the event two Council Members begin service in the same year, the Council Member with the highest number of votes will serve as Mayor Pro Tempore.
Prior to being elected as Mayor Pro Tempore, a Council Member shall have served at least two years on the Council. The term of the Mayor Pro Tempore shall be based on the calendar year – January - December Lodi Selection of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore
The term of office for the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore shall be one year. A majority vote of the Council is necessary to designate a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore. The election of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore will take place as follows:
City Clerk will conduct the election for the office of Mayor.
Following the election, the City Clerk will turn over the gavel to the newly-elected Mayor, who will then conduct the election for the office of Mayor Pro Tempore.
The vote is taken in the order the nominations are made with the first individual receiving a majority vote being elected to the office of Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore.
Morena
Valley
4.1.1. ANNUAL SELECTION.
ATTACHMENT 1 TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 12 SELECTION OF MAYOR/VICE MAYOR
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor The City Council shall meet annually at its first regular meeting in December (or as soon as reasonably feasible following the certification of election results by the Election Official) to choose one of its number as Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor Pro Tem shall be installed, sworn and shall assume the office at that City Council meeting.
4.1.2. CITY CLERK PRESIDES.
The City Clerk shall conduct the swearing in of the Mayor Pro Tem. Each Council member shall have an opportunity for brief comments. No other business shall be conducted at the meeting if it is called as a ceremonial meeting.
4.1.3. SELECTION PROCESS.
Nominations for the office Mayor Pro Tem may be made by any member of the City Council and need not be seconded in order to be effective.
Appointment shall be by three or more affirmative votes. In the event that no person receives three or more votes in the selection process, the selection process shall be repeated immediately; provided, however, that the two persons receiving the highest number of votes in the preceding selection process shall be the only nominees. If, upon repeating the selection process Mayor Pro Tem, no person has yet received three affirmative votes for such office, the City Council may either repeat the selection process until the officer has been duly selected or may continue the selection to the next regular meeting of the City Council.
4.1.4. WRITTEN BALLOT.
Voting in the selection of Mayor Pro Tem shall be by written ballot unless the City Council, by three or more affirmative votes, determines to conduct the selection process by roll call vote. If conducted by written ballot, the vote of each Council member shall remain undisclosed until all votes have been cast and have been lodged with the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall then read aloud into the minutes of the City Council the identity of the voting Council member and the name of the person for whom such person is voting. The written ballots shall be public documents and shall be retained in the records of the City Council. The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, fourth edition, as revised or approved from time to time by the American Institute of Parliamentarians, shall apply to resolve any question of procedure arising during the selection process, which is not governed by this Section.
4.1.5. TERM OF OFFICE.
Except as provided in this Section, the Mayor Pro Tem selected pursuant hereto shall serve for one year or until the next meeting scheduled for selection of Mayor Pro Tem pursuant to this Section, and thereafter if necessary until the successor has been duly selected.
Orinda The Council shall elect a Mayor at the first regular meeting of December of each year, or as soon thereafter as possible following the confirmation of the canvass of ballots by the County Clerk; or at the first regular meeting after the office of Mayor becomes vacant for any reason. The term of office of the Mayor is one year. An election to fill a vacancy occurring in mid-term shall be for the remaining portion of the one-year term. The election or removal of Mayor requires three affirmative votes.
The Council shall elect a Vice Mayor at the first regular meeting of December of each year, or as soon thereafter as possible following the confirmation of the canvass of ballots by the County Clerk; or at the first regular meeting after the office of Vice Mayor becomes vacant for any reason. The term of office of the Vice Mayor is one year. An election to fill a vacancy occurring in mid-term shall be for the remaining portion of the one-year term. The election or removal of Vice Mayor requires three affirmative votes.
Palo Alto The election of mayor and vice-mayor shall be by a vote of a majority of the members of the council PInole Mayoral List. The City Clerk shall maintain a Mayoral List in accordance with this Resolution. The City Clerk shall update the Mayoral List for Council affirmation, following each council election and council vacancy that occurs. The Mayoral List in effect as of the adoption date of this Resolution is attached as Exhibit A to this Resolution.
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor Succession Generally. When a position on the Mayoral List is vacated for any reason, except as otherwise provided in this Resolution, the next councilmember listed on the Mayoral List shall succeed to the vacant position in accordance with the Mayoral List and this Resolution.
Succession to Mayor. When the office of Mayor is vacated for any reason, the Mayor Pro Tempore listed on the then-current Mayoral List shall succeed to the office of Mayor.
Succession to the Office of Mayor Pro Tempore. When the office of Mayor Pro-tempore is vacated for any reason, the next councilmember listed on the then-current Mayoral List shall succeed to the office of Mayor Pro Tempore Pleasanton The Mayor, with approval of the City Council, shall select the Vice Mayor at the meeting certifying election results in each even-numbered year and in December of each odd numbered year, and affirms that the Vice Mayor shall have all the powers and duties of a mayor pro tempore as provided by statute.
If the Mayor is absent or unable to act, the Vice Mayor shall then serve for the Mayor, and shall have all of the powers and duties of the Mayor until such time as the Mayor returns or is again able to act.
Redwood
City
Mayoral Rotation
The City Council policy on the Selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor establishes a rotation process based on whether the City Councilmember has already served as Mayor and has not had a break in service on the City Council, and based on their seniority on the City Council. Seniority is established based on whether the Councilmember was elected on an at-large basis, or elected through a district-based election.
If two or more Councilmembers are newly elected on an at-large basis at the same time, the number of votes received in the election determines the position in the sequence, with the new Councilmember receiving the highest number of votes cast being the first in the rotation among the new Councilmembers.
If two or more Councilmembers are newly elected through district-based elections at the same time, the percentage of votes received in the election for their district determines the position in the sequence, with the new Councilmember receiving the highest percentage of votes cast in their district being the first in the rotation among the new Councilmembers.
Under the provisions in the policy, Vice Mayor Hale is the next Councilmember in order of seniority to serve a two-year term as Mayor. Councilmember Reddy will be the next in order of seniority to serve a two-year terms as Vice Mayor. Below is a chart detailing the order of seniority for all Councilmembers as prescribed in section 2 of the policy.
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor San
Leandro
At its first regular meeting in January of each year, the Council must designate one of its members Vice Mayor to serve for one year and until a successor is elected and qualified. In the absence of the Mayor, the Vice Mayor shall possess and perform the powers and duties of the Mayor.
During an election year an incumbent running for San Leandro City Council office shall not be appointed Vice Mayor. If a Councilmember is running for re-election while serving as Vice Mayor, they are subject to automatic immediate resignation from the position. No Councilmember may announce they are running or pull nomination papers while they serve as Vice Mayor.
San Mateo City Council reorganization, including rotation of the office of Mayor and Deputy Mayor occurs annually at the regular meeting in December.
2. The City Council believes that experience as a Council Member will assist those who are selected to serve as Mayor or Deputy Mayor, and that it is in the City’s best interest that these selections be made in a manner that permits the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to gain that experience in cycles of governing and to acclimate themselves to the jobs, tasks, and roles prior to assuming their respective offices.
3. It is appropriate to base such succession on rotation and seniority according to the following:
A. Each Council Member has a specified position in the rotation sequence. In any year, the first person in the sequence is typically selected as Mayor, and the second in the sequence as the Deputy Mayor.
B. After serving as Mayor, that Council Member moves to the end of the rotation sequence, and the other four Council Members move forward.
C. When a Council Member is newly elected or appointed (as the result of a cancelled election), that new Council Member goes into the fourth position in the rotation, after all incumbents, but before the current outgoing Mayor.
D. If two or more Council Members are newly elected or appointed at the same time, the newly elected or appointed Council Members shall draw lots to determine their position relative to one another in the rotational sequence.
E. If a Council Member is appointed to fill a mid-term vacancy, that Council Member will go to the end of the rotational list.
F. Incumbent Council Members, when re-elected, do not begin anew at the end of the list, but rather retain their placement in the rotation.
G. If for any reason (death, resignation, recall, not seeking re-election, etc.) a Council Member is removed from the rotation, the remaining Council Members move forward in the sequence.
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TABLE: EXAMPLES OF PROTOCOLS FROM VARIOUS CALIFORNIA CITIES/Voting for Mayor/Vice Mayor H. A Council Member may decline to serve as Mayor or Deputy Mayor. In this case, the office would pass to the next Council Member on the list. The Council Member who declined will drop back one position in the rotation.
4. When the Council reorganizes, the outgoing Mayor will nominate the Deputy Mayor to succeed him/her. The newly appointed Mayor will then nominate the next Council Member in the rotational sequence to serve as Deputy Mayor for the coming year.
5. The process described above shall guide the Council’s selection of the Mayor and Deputy Mayor; however, a majority of the City Council retains the authority to disregard the process and select any member of the City Council for these positions.
6. The City Clerk shall keep a list outlining the rotational sequence and update it annually.
Signal Hill • The City Council shall designate one of its members as Mayor and one of its members as Vice Mayor. • Due to both the election cycle and the incongruence between a four-year term and five members of the City Council, it is impossible to ensure that every member of the City Council has the opportunity to serve as Mayor and Vice Mayor during their term. • However, where possible, that is the goal of the City Council. • The following principles shall guide the City Council in performing this annual duty. • a) All members of the City Council should have an opportunity to serve as Mayor and Vice Mayor during their four-year term of service. • b) After completing their one-year term, the Vice Mayor will be appointed Mayor. • c) The City Council will follow a five-year rotation where every year, each member of the City Council advances up one step in the rotation until serving as Mayor, with the Mayor, upon completing their service, moving down to the fifth step in the rotation. • d) When new members of the City Council are elected, they will be placed at the end of the rotation. • If multiple new members of the City Council are elected, their position in the rotation will be based on vote count, placing the new member of the City Council with the highest vote count higher in the rotation than those with lower vote counts.
Formal motion is required for appointment of Mayor and Vice Mayor.
South San
Francisco
The City utilizes a mayoral rotation system in order to determine which Councilmembers shall be chosen to serve a Mayor and Vice-Mayor. The Mayor is elected during the Council reorganization. This is the first order of business.
Vice-Mayor is usually selected as the Mayor. The City Council believes the community benefits by ensuring the positions of Mayor and Vice-Mayor are held at various times by all council members. The City Council also believes the experience as a council member will assist those who ultimately serve as Mayor or Vice-Mayor. To that end, the following process is hereby adopted for the future selection of Mayor and Vice-Mayor. This process will remain in effect until modified by a subsequent City Council.
Commencing at the end of the present Mayor’s term, the Vice-Mayor will become Mayor and the most senior council member who has not within the previous three (3) years served as Mayor or Vice-Mayor, will serve as Vice-Mayor. This process for selection will also apply in subsequent years, provided that a council member will first become eligible for service as Mayor or Vice- Mayor once the Councilmember has served for two (2) years. In the event new council members are elected in the same year, the ranking of the newly elected council members amongst themselves will be in the order of the highest number of votes received to the lowest number. If any council member declines a nomination during a year when they would have been eligible to be appointed as Mayor or Vice-Mayor, the next eligible council member in sequence shall be nominated for that position.
The council member that declined the nomination will then move to the bottom of the rotational order as if they had just completed serving a year as Mayor.
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