COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.3.15 – Page 1
Policy 7.3.15 Appointment of Interim Councilmembers
POLICY PURPOSE:
The purpose of this policy is to promote transpar ency in the provision of a clear process for the City Council to appoint an interim Councilmem ber to serve on a temporary basis when a Councilmember is called to active military service. This policy is intended to provide processes in compliance with California Military and Veteran’s Code Section 395.8.
POLICY STATEMENT:
1. In the event an absence from office is anticipated when a Councilmember must enter upon active military service pursuant to Califor nia Military and Veteran’s Code, the City Council may appoi
nt an interim Councilmember to serve until the discharge or release and return of the member
who has been ca lled to duty. If Council decides to make an interim appointment, it shall be processed as follows:
A. At an open and public, regular meeting, Council shall announce the interi m opening.
B. At the meeting at which the announ cement is made, Council shall set an application period for receiving appli cations and
questionnaires from candidates
for appointm
ent.
C. Council shall hold an open and public meeting to intervie w all eligible candidates. The interview
process shall be structured to allow the public to as k questions or
provide comment during the applicants’ interviews.
D. Council shall hold a public hearing to receive public comment prior to making the appointment.
E. Following the public hearing, the Mayor shall announce the method b y which voting will take place in accordance with the number of candidates. If there ar e five or more candidates for the interim opening, the appointment process shall be conducted by instant runoff voting.
F.
G.E. If there are fewer than five candidates, the Mayor shall announce each candidate’s name. Council will vote on each candidate. The candidate receiving the most affirmative votes will be appointed. Should a tie between the candidates receiving the most affirmative votes occur, the affected applicants will be voted on again. If a tie still remains, the Mayor w ould ask the city attorney to draw the name of the person to be appointed.
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COUNCIL POLICY MANUAL
7.3.15 – Page 2
(I) If there are five or more candidates, the Mayor shall ask each Councilmember to rank the candidates from first choice to last cho ice on a written ballot. The Mayor may choose to recess the meeting while the City Clerk counts the ballots. If one candidate receives four or more first- choice votes, that candidate shall be declared to be appointed. If no t, and one candidate has received the fewest first-choice votes, that candidate shall be eliminated, with his or her votes reassigned to the voters’ second-choice candidates. If multiple candidates have tied for the fe west first-choice votes by receiving only one vote each, they shall be eliminated and their votes reassi gned in the same manner. If multiple candidates have tied for the fewest first-choice votes by receivi ng two votes each, whichever one of them has received the fewest second-choice votes shall be eliminated and the votes reassigned. If multiple candidates have tied for the fewest first choice votes by receiving two votes each, and have the same number of second-choice votes, the clerk shall call for a tiebreaker vote between those candidates, with the loser of the tiebreaker being eliminated and having his or her first-choice votes reassigned. The counting process shall continue unt il one candidate has at least four votes and is declared to be appointed. The City Clerk shall announce the result of the voting.
((Adopted: RTC #10-222 (August 31, 2010); Amended: RTC #19-0438 (April 4, 2019)) Lead Department: Office of the City Manager
Attachment 2
CITY OF SUNNYVALE
APPLICATION / QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CANDIDATES FOR
APPOINTMENT AS INTERIM COUNCIL MEMBER
The City supports its demographic diversity and encourages applicants from all groups to apply.
Please print or type answers to all questions. Write N/A if not applicable.
General eligibility requirements: To qualify as a candidate for Interim City Council Member, a person must be 18 years of age, a Sunnyvale resident and must be a registered voter of the City. For more information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at 408-730-74837595, TDD 408-730-7501 or visit our website at Sunnyvale.ca.gov.
1. Applicant Name:
M.I
Last First
2. Current Resid
ence
Street City Stat e
Zip
Mailing Addre
ss:
(If different from above) Street City State
Zip
E-mail Address:
3. Phone Number: (Home) (Wo rk) (Cell)
4. How long have you been a resident of Sunnyvale?
5. Are you a currently-registered voter in Sunnyvale? When was the last time you voted? Month Year
6. Do you have previous experience as a City Council Member? If yes, how much? Terms served
Terms served
7. Are you currently serving or have you served on a City of Sunnyvale board or commission? If yes, which one? Term currently serving
Term previously served
8. Why do you want to serve as an Interim Council Member?
9. What skills or attributes can you bring to the City?
10. Why are you the best candidate to ser ve as Interim Council Member? Office Use Only
Date Received:
ResidencyVoter
Registration
Checked:
Form 700 filed:
Attachment 2 | Page 3 of 4
11. Education: List college degrees and majors, and any relevant training or experience that demonstrates your ability to effectively serve the City.
12. Briefly describe your current or last occupation.
13. Have you attended a City Council, board or commission meeting? If so, please describe what you learned and w hat improvements you would suggest the City consider.
14. D escribe your involvement in community activities, volunteer and civic organizations. Do not list party affiliation, memberships or activities in partisan political organizations.
15. The City has a Code of Ethics and Conduct for Elected and Appointed Officials and attendance requirements that elected and appointed members are required to follow. Do you have any concerns in these two areas? If so, please describe.
Please Note: Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the City of Sunnyvale will make reasonable efforts to accommodate persons with qualified disabilities during the interview process. Should you require special accommodations, please contact the Offi ce of the City Clerk at 408-730- 74837595 at least five days in advance of your scheduled interview.
I certify under penalty of perjury that all statements I have made on t his application / questionnaire are true and correct. I hereby authorize the City of Sunnyvale to investigate the accuracy of this information from any person or organization, and I release the City of Sunnyvale and all persons and organizations from all claims and liabilities arising from such investigation or the supplying of information for such investigation. I acknowledge that any false statement or misrepresentation on this application / questionnaire will be cause for refusal of appointment.
THIS APPLICATION / QUESTIONNAIRE AND A STATEMENT OF ECONOMIC INTERESTS (FORM 700) MUST BE SIGNED, DATED AND RETURNED PRIOR TO THE DEADLINE SET BY COUNCIL.
Signature of Applicant Date
Please return to: Office of the City Clerk, 603 All America Way, P.O. Box 3707, Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3707
IMPORTANT NOTICE
A City Council member is a public official. As such, it is necessary to provide contact information to the public.
Please note that all information provided on this form becomes a public record after it is officially filed. Please do not include any information on this form that you do not want posted on the City’s Web site and the City’s official roster. - Personal contact information will be redacted.
City Council Memb
ers and Candidates for Elective Office are required to file the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Statements of Economic Interest (Form 700), which are also a public record. A copy of this form is available in the Office of the City Clerk or by visiting www.fppc.ca.gov.
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