HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOUNCIL - AGENDA ITEM - 02/05/2019 - RESOLUTION 2019-020, CLARIFYING THAT THE PROPOSEDAgenda Item 18
Item # 18 Page 1
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY February 5, 2019
City Council
STAFF
Ginny Sawyer, Policy and Project Manager
SUBJECT
Resolution 2019-020, Clarifying that the Proposed Charter Amendment to Increase City Council Compensation
on the April 2, 2019 Regular Municipal Election Ballot was not Initiated by the Council, but by Citizen Petition
[and Expressing Council's Opposition to such a Charter Amendment and Urging the Registered Electors to
Vote "No" on this Ballot Question]
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The purpose of this item is for Council to consider a Resolution that clarifies the proposed Charter amendment
placed on the April 2, 2019, ballot was a citizen-initiated effort and not a City Council initiated amendment, in
follow up to the requests of multiple Councilmembers under Other Business at the January 2, 2019, adjourned
Council meeting.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
None.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
In 1997, voters of Fort Collins approved a compensation measure providing stipends to the Mayor and
Councilmembers. Pay adjustments are made annually based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI/inflation.)
The measure placed on the April 2, 2019 municipal ballot was done through a citizen-initiated petition drive.
CITY FINANCIAL IMPACTS
With inflation adjustments Council compensation has moved as indicated below:
YEAR MAYOR COUNCILMEMBER
1999 $770/monthly $515/monthly
2019 $1,264/monthly $842/monthly
The ballot measure initiated by citizens proposes paying Councilmembers equal to the Fort Collins Area
Median Household Income, in accordance with the U.S. Census ACS five-year estimates plus benefits.
Based on staff research completed in September 2018 this could amount to between $74,000 and $78,000 per
Councilmember (Attachment 1).
Adjustments to Council compensation, other than inflation adjustments, can only be done through a vote of the
people.
Agenda Item 18
Item # 18 Page 2
ATTACHMENTS
1. Council Memo re Salary for Mayor and Councilmembers (PDF)
ATTACHMENT 1
-1-
RESOLUTION 2019-020
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS
CLARIFYING THAT THE PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT
TO INCREASE CITY COUNCIL COMPENSATION
ON THE APRIL 2, 2019 REGULAR MUNICIPAL ELECTION BALLOT
WAS NOT INITIATED BY THE COUNCIL, BUT BY CITIZEN PETITION
[AND EXPRESSING COUNCIL’S OPPOSITION TO SUCH A CHARTER AMENDMENT
AND URGING THE REGISTERED ELECTORS TO VOTE “NO”
ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION]
WHEREAS, Article V, 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, C.R.S., provides that Charter amendments may be
initiated by registered electors of the municipality; and
WHEREAS, a petition proposing to amend the Charter has been submitted to the City;
and
WHEREAS, the amendment proposed by said petition would repeal and replace Article
2, Section 3 of the Charter relating to compensation of Council members; and
WHEREAS, the City Clerk certified the validity and sufficiency of said petition to the
City Council as provided in Section 31-2-210(3), C.R.S., and in December certified said petition
as sufficient for submission of the initiated Charter amendment to a vote of the people at the next
regular municipal election; and
WHEREAS, under Section 31-2-210(3), C.R.S., upon presentation of a petition certified
as sufficient by the City Clerk, the Council was required to set a ballot title for the proposed
amendment at its next meeting; and
WHEREAS, on December 18, 2018, and January 2, 2019, the City Council adopted on
first reading and second reading, respectively, Ordinance No. 173, 2018, submitting a citizen-
initiated Charter amendment relating to Council compensation to a vote of the registered electors
of the city at the regular municipal election on April 2, 2019; and
WHEREAS, as a result of the foregoing, a citizen-initiated ballot question will appear on
the April 2 municipal election ballot that seeks approval by the registered electors of repeal and
replacement of City Charter Article II, Section 3 with a new Section 3 offering the Mayor and all
Councilmembers compensation equal to the Fort Collins Area Median Household Income, in
accordance with the U.S. Census American Community Survey (ACS) five-year estimates, plus
benefits afforded to full-time, exempt city employees, and requires Councilmembers to publicly
report their Council-related activities; and
WHEREAS, that citizen-initiated ballot question has not yet been numbered for
-2-
placement on the ballot; and
WHEREAS, the Council has not sought an increase to Councilmember compensation of
any sort, and has not moved forward the proposed increase except as required under the
Colorado statute related to citizen-initiated Charter amendments; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is concerned about misunderstanding in the public about
the origin of and Council role in this citizen-initiated Charter amendment[; and
WHEREAS, the City Council believes it is in the best interests of the City for the Council
to oppose the proposed Charter amendment increasing Council pay, and to encourage the City's
registered electorate to vote "NO" on such measure].
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
FORT COLLINS that the City Council has taken no action to support the proposed Charter
amendment increasing Council pay that it was required to present to the registered electorate for
consideration as part of the regular municipal election on April 2, 2019 [and that Council
opposes such Charter amendment and urges registered electors to vote “NO” on it at the April 2,
2019, regular municipal election].
Passed and adopted at a regular meeting of the Council of the City of Fort Collins this 5th
day of February, A.D. 2019.
__________________________________
Mayor
ATTEST:
_____________________________
City Clerk