HomeMy WebLinkAbout001 - 01/17/2017 - SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION7 OF ARTICLE VII PERTORDINANCE NO. 001, 2017
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 AMENDEMENT TO SECTION 7 OF ARTICLE VIII OF THE CITY
CHARTER PERTAINING TO THE DATE OF CERTIFICATION OF ELECTION RESULTS
(THE "CANVASS"), AND PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO SECTION 1 AND SECTION 4
OF ARTICLE II OF THE CITY CHARTER, PERTAINING RESPECTIVELY TO THE
TIMING OF THE COUNCIL ORGANIZATIONAL MEETING FOLLOWING AN
ELECTION, AND WHEN COUNCILMEMBER TERMS OF OFFICE BEGIN
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, as election laws, practices and procedures evolve, there are increasing and
improved options for verification of mail ballot signatures, notification and correction of
signature defects, and measures to improve the ability of overseas and uniformed voters to
submit ballots in time to be counted in an election; and
WHEREAS, the Council desires to enable the potential development of improved
practices given the increasing options described above by allowing additional time for the
certification of final elections results; and
WHEREAS, the Charter currently provides that a municipal election must be certified on
the third day after the election, and a period of up to ten (10) days would allow for future
adoption of election process improvements along the lines of those described above, as well as
others; and
WHEREAS, the timing of both the organizational meeting of the City Council after an
election and the election by Council of the mayor pro tem for the Council term is currently set by
reference to the election rather than by reference to the certification of the election; and
WHEREAS, the certification of the election marks the completion of the election process
and is the appropriate triggering date for organizational activities of the new Council.
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 Sections 1 and 4 of Article II and
Section 7 of Article VIII of the Charter shall be submitted to the registered electors of the City as
-1-
"Proposed Charter Amendment No. 1" at the regular municipal election to be held on Tuesday,
April 4, 2017:
ARTICLE II.
CITY COUNCIL
Section 1. Membership; terms.
(a) Composition of Council. The Council shall consist of seven (7) members,
including a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, elected as provided in this Article.
(b) Method of election. The Mayor shall be nominated and elected from the city at
large. The remaining six (6) members shall be nominated and elected by Districts. The
election of District Councilmembers shall alternate between the election of
representatives for Council Districts 1, 3 and 5 and the election of representatives for
Council Districts 2, 4 and 6.
(c) Council district boundaries. The city shall be divided into six (6) contiguous,
reasonably compact districts, each of which shall consist of contiguous, undivided
general election precincts and, to the extent reasonably possible, an equal number of
inhabitants. The districts shall be numbered consecutively in a clockwise fashion
beginning with the northeast district, which shall be District 1. The Council shall
establish by ordinance the process for adjusting district boundaries and giving notice of
any proposed boundary changes, and the manner of protesting such proposed changes.
(d) Terms. Except as otherwise provided in Section 18 of this Article and Section 3(d)
of Article IX, the term of office of the Mayor shall be two (2) years, and the term of
office of all other members of the Council shall be four (4) years each; provided,
however, that all such officers shall serve until their successors have been elected and
have taken office. The terms of the Mayor and other members of the Council shall begin
when they take the oath of office, which shall occur 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, or their appointment.
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 Iegal 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, the
Council shall elect a Mayor Pro Tem for a two (2) year term from among the members
-2-
Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 3rd day of
January, A.D. 2017, and to be presented for final passage on the 17th day of January, A.D. 2017.
City Clerk
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 17th day of January, A.D. 2017.
ATTEST:
-4-