HomeMy WebLinkAbout011 - 02/15/2011 - SUBMITTING TO A VOTE OF THE REGISTERED ELECTORS OF THE CITY A PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE II OF TH ORDINANCE NO . 011 , 2011
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 II OF THE
CITY CHARTER, PERTAINING TO COUNCIL DISTRICT BOUNDARIES
WHEREAS , Article IV, Section 8 of the City Charter states 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 . states 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 1 (d) of the City Charter requires the City Clerk to determine,
prior to each regular biennial election, if the number of registered electors in the Council district
containing the lowest number of registered electors is less than eighty-five percent of the number
of registered electors in the district containing the highest number and, if so, to recommend district
boundary changes to the Council to be established by ordinance; and
WHEREAS , due to advances in technology, it is now feasible for the City Clerk to more
efficiently and accurately calculate the total population of Council districts ; and
WHEREAS , upon recommendation of the City staff, the City Council believes that the
method used by the City for adjusting Council district boundaries should be based upon total
population rather than the number of registered electors in each district, and that such method is
more clearly consistent with the constitutional principle of "one person, one vote" and the basic
precepts of representative government.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FORT
COLLINS as follows :
Section 1 . That the following proposed changes to Article II, Section I 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 5 , 2011 :
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) Redisti irtingCouncil district boundaries. The city shall be divided into six
(6) contiguous, reasonably compact Ddistricts, ,
reasonably compact uni each of which shall consist of contiguous, undivided general
election precincts and, to the extent reasonably possible, an equal number of
inhabitants . The Ddistricts shall be numbered consecutively in a clockwise fashion
beginning with the northeast Ddistrict, which shall be District 1 . The Council shall
provideestablish by ordinance for—the giving-*rocess for adjusting district
boundaries and giving notice of any rcdistricting proccedingsproposed boundary
changes, and the manner of protesting such proposed changes .
(d) I;iv im , "r redistricting. No later than one �mndred and eighty ( 180) dayS
of registered eiectors in the District containing the lowest rmmber of rcgisterc
electors is less than eighty-five (85) percent of the tramber of registered electors i
the eonticit District boundary changes, which shall be cstabli3licd by orditimice
least one hundred and twenty ( f 20) days before the electiorr
(ed) 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 their
election or appointment.
Section 2 . That the following ballot language is hereby adopted for submitting Proposed
Charter Amendment No. 1 to the voters at said election:
CITY-INITIATED
PROPOSED CHARTER AMENDMENT NO. 1
Shall Article II, Section I of the Fort Collins City Charter be amended to change the
method for adjusting City Council district boundaries so that the size and
configuration of Council districts will be based upon the number of people residing
in each district rather than the number of registered electors?
YES
NO
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Introduced, considered favorably on first reading, and ordered published this 1 st day of
February, A.D. 2011, and to be presented for final passage on th day of February,A.D. 2011.
J �
May
ATTEST:
l7► - _
City Clerk`
Passed and adopted on final reading on the 15tjday ebruary, A.D. 2011.;
r
May r
u ATTEST:
City Clerk
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