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Ross council weighs moving municipal elections to November, asks staff to draft ordinance
Summary
Council discussed aligning Ross municipal elections with the statewide November general election, heard arguments for and against preserving the town's traditional spring selection of the mayor, and directed staff to prepare a draft ordinance and options for term alignment and mayoral timing.
The Ross Town Council debated whether to move the townmunicipal election cycle to the November statewide general election during a council discussion that opened Feb. 13. Town staff summarized state law changes that have caused Ross to hold elections in March or June depending on the statewide primary schedule, a pattern that has complicated the council's annual reorganization and the timing of mayoral appointments.
Town Manager Johnson summarized options available to the council: keep the status quo (elections tied to the statewide primary, alternating March and June), or shift to the November general election in even-numbered years, which would require adoption of a local ordinance to align term dates. Johnson said the county elections office and Cal Cities training schedules favor a November alignment; she also flagged modest anticipated fiscal impacts of the change and noted the ordinance would need to specify how existing staggered terms would be adjusted.
Council members debated the trade-offs. Council member Elizabeth Robbins argued to retain spring elections, saying she valued the tradition that newly chosen mayors are introduced at the townparade on July 4. Other council members, including Mayor Pro Tem McMillan and Council member Dowling, supported moving to November, citing alignment with other Marin jurisdictions, access to training, and administrative simplicity.
After extended discussion about possible effects on mayoral terms and council procedures, the council voted to direct staff to return with a draft ordinance and an implementation report. Council members asked that the draft include multiple options for adjusting existing terms and mayor/mayor-pro-tem sequencing (for example, temporary interim terms during transition, or staggered adjustments to preserve one-year mayoral terms). Town attorney and staff will prepare options for first reading and explain legal requirements for any temporary adjustments to staggered terms.
Why it matters: Changing the election date affects the timing of councilmember onboarding, the ability to take regional appointments promptly, and the ceremonial calendar (including the July 4 parade). It would also bring Ross into the same calendar as every other municipality in Marin County.
What happens next: Staff will draft an ordinance laying out options for term adjustments and timelines and return for council review; the council could then introduce the ordinance for first reading and consider adoption in a subsequent meeting.
