Agenda - Charter Commission - 09/06/2001

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CHARTER CASE # CONSIDER CITY CHARTER AMENDMENTS TO CHAPTER 5, DEALING WITH PETITION SUFFICIENCY AND APPROVAL REQUIREMENTS OF INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM AND RECALL By: James E. Norman, City Administrator Background: Petition Sufficiency. During the Charter Commission meeting of August 9, 2001, the Commission considered a request by Commissioner Brian Swanson to consider minimum requirements of petition signatures in order for the election of initiative, referendum, or recall to take place. Currently, Section 5.3 requires that at least ten percent of the total number of registered voters at the time of the last citywide election, is necessary in order to bring about an initiative or referendum election and that twenty percent of the total number of voters at the time of the last citywide election necessary for the recall election. The Charter Commission recommended a Charter Amendment to change the number of registered voters necessary for petition to bring about an initiative or referendum to twenty percent, in order to be uniform with the petition requirements for recall. The issue was to be held until after the September 6 meeting, in order to discuss the other item being considered in Chapter 5, and then forwarded to the City Council. Approval Requirements. The other matter discussed relating to Chapter 5 during the Charter Commission meeting of August 9, 2001, was the approval requirements of initiative, referendum, and recall. Commissioner Ben Deemer proposed striking the language in Section 5.5 and 5.7 and adding language 5.9 that includes the heading "Major Voter Turnout". The proposed Charter amendment language would basically add a requirement to initiative, referendum or recall in that "the majority of registered voters at the time of the last citywide election vote on the ballot question" and that "the majority of persons voting, vote in favor of the ballot question" would be necessary before the question would be deemed approved by the voters. The discussion during the meeting included removing recall and lowering the percentage of voters necessary to approve matters from a majority to 25 percent of registered voters. The motion was tabled so that staff could prepare draft language for Commission consideration. Commission Action: Based upon discussion. Reviewed by: City Administrator City Attorney Charter: 09/06/01 Attachments G.'[usersl./Thielingl~JOlCOUNCIL&lCHARTERC~2OOllCaseAmendChap5CharterO906Ol.doc