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Staff recommends four charter amendments for November ballot; council seeks clarity on two‑reading exceptions
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Summary
Deputy City Manager Ryan Peters told the council staff recommends referring four charter amendments to voters — vice mayor selection timing, residency for appointed officials, reducing most ordinance readings from two to one, and clarifying resign‑to‑run timing — and the city attorney said the charter would authorize the council to require second readings for particular topics.
Deputy City Manager Ryan Peters presented four charter‑change recommendations for referral to the November ballot and asked the council for direction on which, if any, to place before voters.
Peters said the four items are “the selection of the vice mayor, term, begins in January of each year; residency requirements for appointed officials and department directors; [reducing] two readings to one reading on ordinances; and the resign to run” timing. He told the council the charter language would authorize a single reading but allow council to adopt city code that preserves a second reading for specified matters.
Why it matters: The changes would alter how the council conducts key personnel and ordinance matters and could require follow‑on code work to preserve a higher review standard for certain actions. Council Member Orlando pressed staff to make clear which topics would still receive two readings, pointing to section 2.13 and items such as fines, taxes and land purchases that he expects to be treated differently.
City Attorney (responding to Orlando) summarized the approach: according to the current proposal, the charter question before voters would authorize one reading but “authorizes the council to require more than 1 read for the certain matters that are important, you know, that they feel require 2 readings.” The attorney added the council cannot adopt an ordinance that conflicts with the charter but can adopt ordinances that are more restrictive.
Council and staff noted timing constraints: staff confirmed June 8 is the deadline to provide final ballot language to the county, and Peters said staff will return with proposed city‑code language specifying which matters the council wants to preserve for two readings if voters approve the charter amendment.
Next steps: Staff will refine ballot language and the proposed implementing code and return to council before the county deadline.
