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Councilmember Zimmerman stated he would hope that at the next meeting, Council could place <br />this on the vote for sometime in May. That would give people a chance to vote on this. City <br />Council has 90 days to take action and regardless of the legal wrangling, he would expect that <br />Council would schedule the election. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer could see no reason why it would be held up by the Charter. <br /> <br />Case #13: Proposed Charter Amendment to Lengthen the Mayor's Term <br /> <br />City Attomey Goodrich stated that Council passed a motion to place the issue of a four-year <br />mayor's term on the ballot at the time of the general election. We can place it on the ballot but the <br />results are only advisable to the Council. The Council actually determines then if they want to <br />adopt it or not. <br /> <br />Mayor Hardin stated that if the City Council is interested in pursuing this, we should not take it any <br />further - we should make a decision. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer stated that doing a change like this is too big for the five Council to decide; <br />this decision impacts the voters and they should have a voice in this. She stated she would like to <br />hear from the silent majority. Even if this would only be advisory in nature, it would give a better <br />handle on whether we should adopt that amendment or not. <br /> <br />Mayor Hardin felt there could be bigger issues than this brought to the ballot. If this group is not <br />interested, we should just drop it. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer stated she is not comfortable with "touching" this issue the way it sits now. <br /> <br />Mayor Hardin stated she does not have a preference one way or another. <br /> <br />Councilmember Zimmerman stated that at the last meeting, Council voted unanimously to put this <br />on the ballot in November. He wondered why it's even back on the agenda. <br /> <br />Mr. Goodrich stated that it was voted as a referendum and he had some questions about the <br />legality. Council cannot put it on as a referendum - it can only go as an advisory question. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer stated she would be in favor of dropping the issue entirely. <br /> <br />Mayor Hardin stated he does not see what benefit it is to put it on the ballot. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beahen commented that if it is put on the ballot, and people are in favor of <br />extending it or not - that would influence Council's opinion. <br /> <br />Councilmember Beyer stated that someone felt it was important enough to take to the Charter <br />Commission and bringing it to us. The election in November is a good time to figure out what <br />people want. <br /> <br />Motion by Councilmember Zimmerman and seconded by Councilmember Beyer to place the <br />question on the November ballot, in an advisory capacity, of extending the Mayor's term to four <br />years beginning with the election year 2000. <br /> <br />Motion carried. Voting Yes: Mayor Hardin, Councilmembers Zimmerman, Beyer, Beahen and <br />Peterson. Voting No: None. <br /> <br />City Council/April 9, 1996 <br /> Page 14 of 17 <br /> <br /> <br />