HomeMy WebLinkAbout082 - 07/05/2022 - SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY OF FORT COLLINS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TOORDINANCE NO.082, 2022
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 ARTICLE Il OF THE CITY CHARTER
CONCERNING COMPENSATION OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCILMEMBERS OF THE
CITY OF FORT COLLINS
WHEREAS, Article IV, Section 8 of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins (the "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, on May 17, 2022, the City Council adopted on second reading Ordinance No.
056, 2022, calling a special municipal election ("November Election") to be held in conjunction
with the November 8, 2022, Larimer County General Election; and
WHEREAS, Section 3 of Article 1I of the Charter concerns the compensation for the mayor
and members of City Council and was last updated in 1997; and
WHEREAS, City Council has prioritized increasing participation by the Fort Collins
community in City government, and particularly increasing opportunities to influence City policy
such as through City boards and commissions and through service on City Council; and
W1 IEREAS, the increasing size of Fort Collins and the growing complexity of matters
coming before the City Council have resulted in gradual growth in the time required to fulfill the
role of Councilmember; and
WHEREAS, the City Council is of the opinion that the substantial time commitment
required to carry out the roles of mayor, mayor pro tem and councilmember could pose a barrier
for many in the community and that adequate compensation for service on Council will enable
more members of the Fort Collins community to afford to serve in elective office on Council; and
WHEREAS, the objective of the City Council is to make the opportunity to serve on
Council more practically available for those for whom the demands of the role would exact too
great a cost, and to minimize compensation as a barrier to service on the City Council; and
WHEREAS, the Council's intent in adopting this Ordinance is to present to the City's
electorate at the November Election, through the ballot title set in Section 3 of this Ordinance, a
proposed amendment to Article II of the City Charter that would, if adopted, increase the
compensation for the mayor and city councilmembers effective January 1, 2023; and
WHEREAS, accordingly, the City Council desires to submit to the Fort Collins electors
the Charter amendment below.
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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 3 of Article II of the City
Charter, modifying the compensation for the mayor and Councilmembers, shall be submitted to the
registered electors of the City as "Proposed Charter Amendment No. 1" at the November Election:
ARTICLE II. CITY COUNCIL
Section 3. Compensation of members.
(a) For the purpose of this Section, Area Median Income shall mean Area Median Income for
a single -person household for the Fort Collins/Loveland Metropolitan Statistical Area, as
determined and adjusted annually by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
(b) Commencing in 2023, compensation for members of the City Council shall be paid
biweekly and adjusted annually as follows:
(1) For the Mayor: seventy-five percent (75%) of Area Median Income.
(2) For the Mayor Pro Tem: sixty percent (60%) of Area Median Income.
(3) For all other Councilmembers: fifty percent (50%) of Area Median Income.
(c) Although members of City Council are generally not considered City employees,
compensation for service on City Council shall include the option to participate in the City
organization's healthcare -related benefits, on the same terms those benefits are available to
City employees.
Section 3. That the following ballot title, with its title and submission clause, is hereby
adopted for submitting Proposed Charter Amendment No. 1 to the voters at the November
Election:
CITY -INITIATED
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 1
(Council Compensation)
Shall Section 3 of Article II of the Charter of the City of Fort Collins, regarding
compensation for the Mayor and City Councilmembers, be amended to provide:
• the Mayor will receive seventy-five percent (75%),
• the Mayor Pro Tern will receive sixty percent (60%), and
• all other Councilmembers will receive fifty percent (50%),
of the Area Median Income for the Fort Collins/Loveland area for a single -person household,
adjusted annually;
And to further provide that all Councilmembers will be entitled to opt into the City
organization's healthcare -related benefits, on the same terms those benefits are available to
City employees?
Yes/For
No/Against
Section 4. That pursuant to Section 31-2-210(4) of the Colorado Revised Statutes, the
City Clerk is directed to publish in the Coloradoan a notice of the City's November 8, 2022, special
election coordinated with Larimer County and to include in that notice the full text of the proposed
amendments to Charter Article II, Section 3, as stated in this Ordinance. Such notice is to be
published within thirty (30) days of the adoption of this Ordinance and not less than sixty (60) days
nor more than one hundred twenty (120) days before said election.
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading and ordered published this 21 st
day of June, A.D. 2022, and to be presented for finalapason the 5th day of July, A.D. 2022.
ATTEST:
I"TSEAL
City Clerk/
Passed and adopted on final reading
Fill rrW1111
5th day of J
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