Grand Junction council refers municipal election date change to April ballot

The Grand Junction City Council voted 7-0 on Feb. 5 to refer Ordinance 5,246 to the April 8, 2025 municipal ballot, asking voters whether to move the city’s general municipal elections from the first Tuesday in April of odd-numbered years to the first Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years.

City Attorney John Shaver presented the ordinance at second reading and said the packet contained the actual text that would appear on the ballot. He told council that Mesa County would not accept “strike-through” or annotated question formats, so the version before council was the final ballot form.

The vote follows detailed council discussion about the sentence order and plain-language clarity of the ballot question. Council members debated small wordsmithing changes — for example, moving the clause “as follows and as described below” to make it clearer to voters — and asked staff to finalize language that preserves the legal effect while making the question easier to read.

Shaver and City Manager Bennett answered procedural questions about how the ordinance would operate if voters approve the change. Council members noted the clerks of both the city and county supported the move and said the change should save money and improve voter participation.

Councilmember Jason Wynne moved the ordinance; Mayor Pro Tem Rights seconded. The full council voted unanimously in favor on final passage.

The ordinance as adopted for referral includes language extending current council terms so they align with the new election schedule if voters approve the charter amendment. The council’s discussion and the final vote complete the city’s legal step to put the question before voters in April.

The city clerk and city attorney said the finalized ballot language will be submitted to Mesa County for certification before the electoral deadline.