Council tables charter amendment on consecutive terms after extended public comment

The Chandler City Council on May 22 heard extended staff presentation, legal analysis and public comment on Resolution 5913, a proposed charter amendment intended to clarify whether an individual may serve consecutive terms as a councilmember and then as mayor without a break in service.

City Attorney Ton and outside elections counsel briefed the council that the charter language is ambiguous and that different attorneys have reached differing interpretations. Staff presented proposed language to explicitly limit combined service as councilmember and mayor to 16 consecutive years and to remove or clarify outdated or conflicting passages. Ton said the proposed language would align the charter with historical practice and would require a person who served 16 consecutive years in a combination of the offices to wait four years before seeking either office again.

The item drew substantial public comment: more than a dozen residents spoke from both sides of the question, some urging the council to send the clarification to voters this November so it would appear on the same ballot as the bond proposition, while others urged formation of a broader charter-review committee and a slower process before placing amendments on the ballot. Public commenters cited precedent, concerns about rushed timing and possible litigation, and the cost of a standalone special election. Several speakers asked the council to refer the language to a charter committee for a comprehensive review.

After deliberation the council voted to table Resolution 5913 and directed staff to return with final language and to schedule a special meeting or bring the matter back no later than the June 9 deadline for ballot language. The motion to table carried unanimously.