Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Recall Process topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee narrows recall process: debate over 30 vs 45 vs 60 days leads to 45‑day filing requirement
Summary
Committee members debated and ultimately adopted a 45‑calendar‑day deadline for filing recall petitions with the city secretary, replacing an initial 30‑day proposal. Members said the change balances clarity for staff with fairness for petitioners.
The Charter Review Committee spent its longest stretch on section 3.14 — the recall provision — and voted to require that the petitioners file with the city secretary no later than 45 calendar days after filing the petitioners’ affidavit.
Jennifer, the city attorney who drafted the redline language, told the committee the expanded recall section is intended to reduce ambiguity about signature verification and procedural steps. “The more detail that you can give in a charter for what’s required, the better,” she said, noting the change echoed language used by other cities that had recently handled multiple recall efforts.
Some members expressed concern the proposed rules could be perceived as making recall too difficult. Chair Haney said he worried about optics: “My concern is that this is going to be interpreted by the public as we are making it really hard to get one of us off this dais.” Another committee member argued the 30‑day filing window under consideration would be impractical: “Thirty days is not enough time to do squat, in my opinion.”
Committee members discussed several technical options — 30 calendar days, 45 calendar days, 60 calendar days, and using business days for certain deadlines. They also discussed signature thresholds: the draft refers to a petition requirement of signatures equaling either 30% of the number of voters entitled to vote in the last general municipal election for that place, or 150 signatures, whichever is greater.
After debate the committee amended the draft to set the filing deadline at 45 calendar days after the petitioners’ affidavit and approved the section by voice vote. The committee directed the city attorney to return with a revised draft that incorporates the 45‑day change and to consider consolidating recall, referendum and initiative procedures where practicable.
What remains: The committee will review the revised 3.14 language and any consolidated referendum/initiative wording at a future meeting; the city secretary was asked to prepare procedural steps and to coordinate with bond counsel and election staff where needed.
