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King City charter review: council debates whether to enable elected mayor in future
Summary
During an extended charter-review session, councilors and counsel discussed whether the charter should preserve a pathway to electing the mayor in the future. Staff said the question can be revisited by council action or citizen initiative and that a transfer to an elected-mayor form could be placed on a future ballot.
Councilors spent substantial time Tuesday debating whether King City's charter should retain the option to convert from an appointed to an elected mayor. One councilor noted that among Oregon cities of comparable size "only 11 still appoint the mayor" and said that as King City's population grows the council should preserve the ability to elect a mayor in the future.
Missy, counsel, and Ronnie, staff, told the council that the question can be revisited either by citizen initiative or by the council placing a charter amendment on the ballot (the draft currently requires a 0.667 council vote for some changes, but counsel and members discussed simplifying that to a majority to avoid fractional outcomes when vacancies occur). "It can be tried by citizen initiative, or it can be through a council action," Missy said. Councilors asked about timeline options; staff said the earliest a change could appear after approval would be the 2028 vote cycle if the council or citizens act in time.
Councilors also discussed periodic review timing for the charter and agreed to include language targeting a first formal review in 2029 (to be ready for the 2030 census cycle), so the council will have a scheduled moment to revisit the mayor selection question. Several members said they are personally "pro elections" but worried about the timing and the city's capacity to manage transitions; others urged continuity and a longer appointment term to allow mayors to learn the role.
Next steps: staff will add the proposed timing language to section 2.4 and provide comparative data about other Oregon cities' transitions for the council to review before finalizing ballot placement decisions.
