HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 01/19/2021 - ITEMS RELATING TO PLACING PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDME Agenda Item 19
Item # 19 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY January 19, 2021
City Council
STAFF
Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk
Carrie Daggett, City Attorney
SUBJECT
Items Relating to Placing Proposed Charter Amendments on the April 6, 2021 Ballot.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 011, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 4 of Article II of the City Charter Updating the Provision for
Election of a Mayor Pro Tem.
B. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 012, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 8 of Article VIII of the City Charter Pertaining to
Restrictions on Campaign Contributions.
C. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 013, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 9, Article V of the City Charter Clarifying Revenues that
May be Appropriated.
D. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 014, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 17 or Article II of the City Charter Revising the Deadline to
Publish Notice of the Annual Independent Financial Audit.
E. Second Reading of Ordinance No. 015, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 5 of Article VIII of the City Charter Updating the Reference
to “Chief Judge” in the Board of Elections Provision.
These Ordinances were adopted on First Reading on January 5, 2021 to submit individual Charter
amendments to the voters at the April 6, 2021 Regular Election ballot as indicated below:
Ordinance Nos. 011-013 (unanimous )
Ordinance Nos. 014-015 (by a vote of 5-1 Nay: Pignataro)
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinances on Second Reading.
ATTACHMENTS
1. First Reading Agenda Item Summary, January 5, 2021 (w/o attachments) (PDF)
2. Ordinance No. 011, 2021 (PDF)
3. Ordinance No. 012, 2021 (PDF)
4. Ordinance No. 013, 2021 (PDF)
5. Ordinance No. 014, 2021 (PDF)
6. Ordinance No. 015, 2021 (PDF)
Agenda Item 18
Item # 18 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY January 5, 2021
City Council
STAFF
Delynn Coldiron, City Clerk
Carrie Daggett, City Attorney
SUBJECT
Items Relating to Placing Proposed Charter Amendments on the April 6, 2021 Ballot.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A. Possible Public Hearing and Motions Regarding Protest(s) of Ballot Language.
B. First Reading of Ordinance No. 011, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 4 of Article II of the City Charter Updating the Provision for
Election of a Mayor Pro Tem.
C. First Reading of Ordinance No. 012, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 8 of Article VIII of the City Charter Pertaining to Restrictions
on Campaign Contributions.
D. First Reading of Ordinance No. 013, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 9, Article V of the City Charter Clarifying Revenues that
May be Appropriated.
E. First Reading of Ordinance No. 014, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 17 or Article II of the City Charter Revising the Deadline to
Publish Notice of the Annual Independent Financial Audit.
F. First Reading of Ordinance No. 015, 2021 Submitting to a Vote of the Registered Electors of the City of
Fort Collins a Proposed Amendment to Section 5 of Article VIII of the City Charter Updating the Reference
to “Chief Judge” in the Board of Elections Provision.
The purpose of these items is to submit individual Charter amendments to the voters at the April 6, 2021 Regular
Election ballot.
Any protest of the proposed ballot language must be received no later than Monday, January 4, 2021, at
noon. The protest(s) shall be heard, considered, and resolved by Council prior to adoption of any Ordinance that
is the subject of a protest. If protests are received, copies will be included in Council’s “Read-before” packet.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends adoption of the Ordinances on First Reading.
ATTACHMENT 1
Agenda Item 18
Item # 18 Page 2
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
At the December 8, 2020 Work Session, Council discussed a number of potential Charter Amendments. These
items have been brought forward for Council consideration based on that discussion. (Attachment 1)
If adopted, these Ordinances will submit Charter amendments, described below, to the voters at the April 6,
2021 Regular Election.
Amending Section 4 of Article II of the City Charter Updating the Provision for Election of a Mayor Pro
Tem.
This item concerns a proposed amendment to City Charter Article II, Section 4, which governs when the Council
must elect the Mayor Pro Tem following an election. This proposed amendment is to align Section 4 with City
Charter Article II, Section 1(d), which was amended in 2017 to read that the Mayor and Council members shall
take their oaths of office at the first regular or special Council meeting that occurs after the final certification of
the election and after the time for recount expires.
The proposed amendment clarifies that the election of the Mayor Pro Tem shall occur at the meeting at which
newly-elected Councilmembers take the oath of office and further to provide for election by Council of a new
Mayor Pro Tem in the event of a resignation.
Amending Section 8 of Article VIII of the City Charter Pertaining to Restrictions on Campaign
Contributions.
This item concerns a proposed amendment to City Charter Article VIII, Sec. 8 which establishes limitations on
participation in City elections by City employees, public service corporations or any other person having an
interest in, or intending to apply for, a franchise or contract with the City. In particular, Section 8 places limits on
whether those parties may make direct contributions and indirect expenditures in support of, or in opposition to,
candidates for City office.
Article VIII, Section 8 states, in relevant part:
. . .
No political party or city employee, directly or indirectly, and no public service corporation, nor any
other person, firm or corporation, owning, interested in, or intending to apply for any franchise or
contract with the city shall contribute or expend any money or other valuable thing, directly or
indirectly, to assist in the election or defeat of any candidate.
The application of Section 8 to City employees was the matter of some discussion during and after the 2019
election. Since the adoption of Section 8 in approximately 1980, there have also been developments in the law
that may impact Section 8’s restrictions on who may contribute or expend money or things of value, directly or
indirectly, to assist in the election or defeat of a Council candidate.
The proposed amendment removes the existing stated prohibition on campaign contributions and expenditures
and instead enables Council to act by ordinance to establish prohibitions on, and requirements for, campaign
contributions and expenditures for City elections, in addition to limits on contributions to support or oppose
candidates for Council.
Amending Sections 9 and 11 of Article V of the City Charter Concerning Supplemental and Non-Lapsing
Appropriations.
This item concerns an amendments related to the appropriation of funds. It includes an amendment to Section
9 of Charter Article V to clarify that the City Council can make supplemental appropriations not only from the
City’s estimated actual and anticipated revenues received in the fiscal year of the supplemental appropriation,
such as tax and fee revenues, but also from any other kind of funds the City has received or is anticipated to
receive in that fiscal year, such as grant money and proceeds from debt issuance or borrowing. Section 9 would
Agenda Item 18
Item # 18 Page 3
also be amended to clarify that the same would be true for supplemental appropriations of both revenues and
other funds in reserves accumulated in prior years.
This item also concerns an amendment to Section 11 of Charter Article V to clarify that appropriations made by
the City Council for federal, state and private grants and donations shall not lapse until the earlier of the expiration
of the federal, state or private grant or donation or the City’s expenditures of all funds received from such grant
or donation.
The proposal amends both Sections 9 and 11 of Charter Article V to reflect these changes.
Amending Section 17 of Article II of the City Charter Revising the Deadline to Publish Notice of the
Annual Independent Financial Audit.
This item concerns the date by which a summary of the City’s annual audit is required to be published in the
Coloradoan each year. Article II, Section 17 currently reads:
Section 17. - Independent annual audit.
The Council shall provide for an independent audit at least annually by a certified public
accountant of all books and accounts of the city, and shall publish a summary thereof once in
the manner provided for publication of legal notices within five (5) months after the end of each
fiscal year.
It has been staff’s experience that the City’s annual audit is sometimes difficult to complete within five months of
the end of each fiscal year. Therefore, staff is recommending that Section 17 be amended to allow the legal
notice for the audit summary be published within seven months of the end of the fiscal year instead of five
months. This should give sufficient time for the audit to be completed each year.
The proposed amendment increases the time for publication of a summary of an independent audit to seven
months after the end of each fiscal year.
Amending Section 5 of Article VIII of the City Charter Updating the Reference to “Chief Judge” in the
Board of Elections Provision.
The proposed amendment replaces a reference to “Municipal Judge” in Section 5, describing the Board of
Elections, with “Chief Judge.”
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
Any financial impacts as a result of these amendments will be negligible.
PUBLIC OUTREACH
Targeted outreach was not conducted for these proposed Charter amendments. However, meetings of the
Election Code Committee where some of these amendments were discussed were open to the public, and
several members of the community regularly attended and provided input. In addition, Council discussed these
proposed Charter amendments, along with others, at its December 8 Work Session.
ATTACHMENTS
1. Work Session Summary (PDF)
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ORDINANCE NO. 011, 2021
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 4 OF ARTICLE II OF
THE CITY CHARTER UPDATING THE PROVISION
FOR ELECTION OF A MAYOR PRO TEM
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (“Charter”)
provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210, Colorado Revised Statutes, provides that Charter
amendments may be initiated by the adoption of an ordinance by the City Council submitting a
proposed amendment to a vote of the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins; and
WHEREAS, Article II, Section 4 of the Charter (“Section 4”) currently provides for the
Council to elect a Mayor Pro Tem at the first regular or special meeting after final certification of
a City election; and
WHEREAS, at the regular municipal election on April 4, 2017, the voters of Fort Collins
approved Ordinance No. 001, 2017, amending Article II, Section 1 of the Charter to provide that
newly-elected Councilmembers shall take the oath of office as the first order of business at the
first regular or special Council meeting following the final certification of election results and after
expiration of the recount period; and
WHEREAS, in light of the 2017 change to Section 1, Section 4 may in some instances
require the election of the Mayor Pro Tem to occur before the newly-elected Councilmembers take
office; and
WHEREAS, Section 4 is silent as to the potential need for and process to elect a new Mayor
Pro Tem in the event that a Councilmember in that role resigns from the Council or resigns as
Mayor Pro Tem; and
WHEREAS, Council desires to amend the Charter to ensure clarity and internal
consistency in regards to the election of the Mayor Pro Tem.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That the following proposed changes to Section 4 of Article II of the City
Charter shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter Amendment
No. 1” at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021:
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ARTICLE II.
CITY COUNCIL
Section 4. - Organization.
The Mayor shall preside at meetings of the Council and shall be recognized as head of the
city government for all ceremonial purposes and by the Governor of the state for purposes
of military law. The Mayor shall execute and authenticate legal instruments requiring the
signature of the Mayor. The Mayor shall also perform such other duties as may be provided
by ordinance which are not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter.
At the first regular or special meeting after final certification of a City election and after
expiration of the recount period, the Council shall elect a Mayor Pro Tem for a two (2) year
term from among the members of the Council to act as Mayor during the absence or
disability of the Mayor. If a vacancy occurs in the position of Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem
shall become Mayor as provided in Section 18(b) below.
If a vacancy occurs in the position of Mayor Pro Tem, whether through resignation or
otherwise, the Council shall at the first regular or special meeting after the occurrence of
such vacancy elect a new Mayor Pro Tem to serve for the remainder of the vacated term.
Section 3. That the following ballot title and submission clause are hereby adopted for
submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. 1 to the voters at said election:
CITY-INITIATED
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 1
Shall Section 4 of Article II of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, pertaining to
the election of the Mayor Pro Tem and other Council organizational matters, be
amended to clarify that the election of the Mayor Pro Tem shall occur at the meeting
at which newly-elected Councilmembers take the oath of office and further to
provide for election by Council of a new Mayor Pro Tem in the event of a
resignation from that position?
______Yes/For
______No/Against
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Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of
January, A.D. 2021, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
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ORDINANCE NO. 012, 2021
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 8 OF ARTICLE VIII OF THE CITY
CHARTER PERTAINING TO RESTRICTIONS ON CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (“Charter”)
provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210, Colorado Revised Statutes, provides that Charter
amendments may be initiated by the adoption of an ordinance by the City Council submitting a
proposed amendment to a vote of the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins; and
WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 8 of the Charter (“Section 8”) currently charges the
Council by ordinance with establishing a limit on the amount that any person or entity may
contribute in support of a candidate for Council on the ballot at any City election; and
WHEREAS, Section 8 further prohibits certain persons from directly or indirectly
contributing or expending any money or other valuable thing to assist in the election or defeat of
any candidate; and
WHEREAS, from time to time the decisions of the United States Supreme Court, the
Colorado Supreme Court and other federal and state courts with jurisdiction over city matters
consider and decide cases affecting the extent to which the City may restrict political speech in the
form of campaign expenditures and contributions; and
WHEREAS, the Council has acted to establish extensive restrictions on and requirements
for campaign activities, including campaign contributions and expenditures, in Chapter 7 of the
City Code; and
WHEREAS, in order to consolidate the restrictions on, and requirements for, campaign
contributions and expenditures and allow the Council to adjust them to reflect the evolution of the
law as it applies to political speech, the Council desires to amend Section 8 to charge the Council
with establishing prohibitions and limitations on, and requirements for, campaign contributions
and expenditures in support of or opposition to candidates and matters on the ballot at any city
election.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That the following proposed changes to Section 8 of Article VIII of the City
Charter shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter Amendment
No. 2” at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021:
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ARTICLE VIII.
ELECTIONS
Section 8. - Campaign contributions.
The Council shall act by ordinance to prohibit such campaign contributions and
expenditures as it determines reasonably appropriate, to establish a limit on the amount that
any person or entity may contribute in support of a candidate for Council on the ba llot at
any city election and to require disclosures and reporting of campaign contributions and
expenditures.
Section 3. That the following ballot title and submission clause are hereby adopted for
submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. 2 to the voters at said election:
CITY-INITIATED
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 2
Shall Section 8 of Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, pertaining
to campaign contributions for city elections, be amended to remove the stated
prohibition on campaign contributions and expenditures and instead provide that
Council shall by ordinance establish prohibitions on, and requirements for,
campaign contributions and expenditures for city elections, in addition to limits on
contributions to support or oppose candidates for Council?
______Yes/For
______No/Against
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of
January, A.D. 2021, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
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Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
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ORDINANCE NO. 013, 2021
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO SECTIONS 9 AND 11 OF ARTICLE V OF THE
CITY CHARTER CONCERNING SUPPLEMENTAL AND
NON-LAPSING APPROPRIATIONS
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (“Charter”)
provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210(1)(b) of the Colorado Revised Statutes provides that
amendments to the Charter may be initiated by the adoption of an ordinance by the City Council
submitting a proposed amendment to a vote of the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins
and that such ordinance must also adopt a ballot title for the proposed amendment; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 9 of the Charter (“Section 9”) currently allows the City
Council to make supplemental appropriations at any time during the fiscal year provided such
appropriations, in combination with all previous fiscal years, shall not exceed the then current
estimate of actual and anticipated “revenues” to be received by the City during that fiscal year;
and
WHEREAS, a 2018 court case not involving the City, suggests that while “revenues”
includes income a governmental entity receives, such as taxes, it may not include other funds a
governmental entity receives such as loan proceeds, grants and donations, thereby calling into
question whether the City Council can make supplemental appropriations from these other funds
that may not be considered “revenues”; and
WHEREAS, this proposed amendment to Section 9 would clarify that the City Council can
make supplemental appropriations from not just “revenues,” but from “all other funds” the City
receives during a fiscal year; and
WHEREAS, Article V, Section 11 of the Charter (“Section 11”) currently provides that all
City Council appropriations for capital projects and for federal and state grants are to be considered
non-lapsing appropriations, unlike all other City Council appropriations which are considered as
having lapsed at the end of each fiscal year to the extent not expended or encumbered; and
WHEREAS, in recent years the City has been receiving more and more private grants and
donations for which it would be helpful in some circumstances if the appropriation of these grants
and donations could be designated as non-lapsing appropriations; and
WHEREAS, there are also some circumstances where it would be desirable if the
appropriation of certain capital projects and federal and state grants could be designated as lapsing
appropriations rather than non-lapsing, but under the current wording of Section 11, such
appropriations are required to be non-lapsing; and
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WHEREAS, this proposed amendment to Section 11 is to allow the City Council to
designate as non-lapsing appropriations for private grants and donations and to have the discretion
to decide on a case-by-case basis whether to designate as non-lapsing appropriations for capital
projects and for federal, state and private grants and donations.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That the following proposed changes to Section 9 and 11 of Article V of the
City Charter shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter
Amendment No. 3” at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021:
ARTICLE V.
FINANCE ADMINISTRATION
Section 9. – Supplemental appropriations.
The Council, upon recommendation of the City Manager, may make supplemental
appropriations by ordinance at any time during the fiscal year; provided, however, that the
total amount of such supplemental appropriations, in combination with all previous
appropriations for that fiscal year, shall not exceed the then current estimate of actual and
anticipated revenues and all other funds to be received by the city during the fiscal year.
This provision shall not prevent the Council from appropriating by ordinance at any time
during the fiscal year such revenues and funds for expenditure as may be available from
reserves accumulated in prior years, notwithstanding that such reserves were not previously
appropriated.
Section 11. – Lapsed appropriations
All appropriations unexpended or unencumbered at the end of the fiscal year shall lapse to
the applicable general or special fund, except the Council may designate in an ordinance
appropriating funds for capital projects and for federal, state and private grants and
donations that such funds shall not lapse until the completion of the capital project or until
the earlier of the expiration of the federal, state or private grant or donation or the city’s
expenditure of all funds received from such grant or donation.
Nothing herein shall limit the ability of the Council to terminate a capital project or a
federal, state or private grant or donation at any time prior to completion of the project or
prior to expiration of or the city’s expenditure of all funds from the grant or donation.
Section 3. That the following ballot title and submission clause are hereby adopted for
submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. 3 to the voters at said election:
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CITY-INITIATED PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 3 AMENDING
SECTIONS 9 AND 11 OF CHARTER ARTICLE V CONCERNING CITY COUNCIL
APPROPRIATAIONS
Shall Sections 9 and 11 of Article V of the City of Fort Collins Charter be amended to
provide that City Council may make supplemental appropriations from not only the City’s
actual and expected revenues in a fiscal year, but also from all other sources of funds the
City receives or expects to receive during the fiscal year, and to provide that the City
Council may designate by ordinance as non-lapsing its annual and supplemental
appropriations for capital projects and for federal, state and private grants and donations
until the completion of the capital project or until the earlier of the expiration of the federal,
state or private grant or donation or the city’s expenditure of all funds received from such
grant or donation, but without limiting the City Council’s ability to terminate earlier any
such capital project or federal, state or private grant or donation?
______Yes/For
______No/Against
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of
January, A.D. 2021, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
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ORDINANCE NO. 014, 2021
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 17 OF ARTICLE II OF THE CITY
CHARTER REVISING THE DEADLINE TO PUBLISH NOTICE OF THE
ANNUAL INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL AUDIT
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (“Charter”)
provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210, Colorado Revised Statutes, provides that Charter
amendments may be initiated by the adoption of an ordinance by the City Council submitting a
proposed amendment to a vote of the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins; and
WHEREAS, Article II, Section 17 of the Charter (“Section 17”) currently requires that
Council provide for an independent audit of city books and accounts at least annually and further
requires the publication of a summary of such audit within five months after the end of each fiscal
year; and
WHEREAS, this provision was last updated in 1985 and since then the time required for
completion of an annual independent financial audit has grown with the increasing complexity of
the City’s books and accounts and the professional standards for such audits; and
WHEREAS, in many years the City is unable to provide a meaningful summary of the
annual financial audit within the five-month timeframe allowed and a modest increase in time for
the notice would enable the publication of a fuller summary of the audit outcomes; and
WHEREAS, Council desires to amend the Charter to increase the time for publication of
the annual audit summary to seven months after the end of each fiscal year instead of five months.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That the following proposed changes to Section 17 of Article II of the City
Charter shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter Amendment
No. 4” at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021:
ARTICLE II.
CITY COUNCIL
Section 17. - Independent annual audit.
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The Council shall provide for an independent audit at least annually by a certified public
accountant of all books and accounts of the city, and shall publish a summary thereof once
in the manner provided for publication of legal notices within seven (7) months after the
end of each fiscal year.
Section 3. That the following ballot title and submission clause are hereby adopted for
submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. 4 to the voters at said election:
CITY-INITIATED
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 4
Shall Section 17 of Article II of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, requiring an
independent audit of city books and accounts at least annually, be amended to
increase the time for publication of a summary of such audit to seven (7) months
after the end of each fiscal year, instead of five (5) months?
______Yes/For
______No/Against
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of
January, A.D. 2021, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
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ORDINANCE NO. 015, 2021
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 5 OF ARTICLE VIII OF THE CITY
CHARTER UPDATING THE REFERENCE TO “CHIEF JUDGE” IN
THE BOARD OF ELECTIONS PROVISION
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (“Charter”)
provides that the Charter may be amended as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado; and
WHEREAS, Section 31-2-210, Colorado Revised Statutes, provides that Charter
amendments may be initiated by the adoption of an ordinance by the City Council submitting a
proposed amendment to a vote of the registered electors of the City of Fort Collins; and
WHEREAS, Article VIII, Section 5, of the Charter (“Section 5”) establishes a Board of
Elections to consist of the City Clerk, Chief Deputy City Clerk, and Municipal Judge; and
WHEREAS, at the regular municipal election on April 4, 2017, the voters of Fort Collins
approved Ordinance No. 004, 2017, modifying Article VII, Section 1 of the Charter to establish a
Chief Judge where previously was referenced the Municipal Judge; and
WHEREAS, a conforming change is needed in Section 5 to update the reference there from
“Municipal Judge” to “Chief Judge” in accordance with Ordinance No. 004, 2017; and
WHEREAS, Council desires to amend the Charter to ensure clarity and internal
consistency in these provisions and to avoid any confusion or question regarding the composition
of the Board of Elections.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows:
Section 1. That the City Council hereby makes and adopts the determinations and
findings contained in the recitals set forth above.
Section 2. That the following proposed changes to Section 5 of Article VIII of the City
Charter shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as “Proposed Charter Amendment
No. 5” at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday, April 6, 2021:
ARTICLE VIII.
ELECTIONS
Section 5. - Board of Elections.
There is hereby created a Board of Elections consisting of the City Clerk, Chief Deputy
City Clerk, and Chief Judge. The Board shall be responsible for any election duties
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specified in this Charter and for such additional duties related to the conduct of elections
as may be established by the Council by ordinance.
Section 4. That the following ballot title and submission clause are hereby adopted for
submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. 5 to the voters at said election:
CITY-INITIATED
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 5
Shall Section 8 of Article VIII of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, establishing
the Board of Elections, be amended to replace a reference to “Municipal Judge”
with “Chief Judge” in conformance with a 2017 update to that title?
______Yes/For
______No/Against
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 5th day of
January, A.D. 2021, and to be presented for final passage on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 19th day of January, A.D. 2021.
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Mayor
ATTEST:
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City Clerk