LWV LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS
Smart Voter
Stanislaus County, CA November 2, 1999 Election
Measure I
Charter Amendment/Run-off elections
City of Modesto

8,833 / 48% Yes votes ...... 9,703 / 52% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Infomation shown below: Summary | Yes/No Meaning | Arguments | Full Text
Shall the Modesto City Charter be amended to change the date of any run-off election from the second to the third Tuesday in December and to further provide that, in the case of a run-off election a Councilmember so elected would hold office from the first Tuesday of the following January?
Summary Prepared by the City Attorney:
Section 300 of the Modesto City Charter provides, among other things, that run-off elections are to be held on the second Tuesday in December following the regular municipal election in the preceding November. Section 700 of the Modesto City Charter, among other things, provides that Councilmembers take office on the first Tuesday following their election. This measure would change the date of any run-off election from the second to the third Tuesday in December and would provide that, in the case of a run-off election, a Councilmember so elected would hold office from the first Tuesday of the following January, since there are no Council meetings during the last two weeks of December. The purpose of this proposed change is to ease the burden on the County Clerk who conducts the City's elections. The County presently hires extra people to work overtime, to help conduct the City's run-off elections, and it is believed that a one-week delay would be beneficial.

s/Michael D. Milich
City Attorney

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote of this measure means:
You should vote "YES" on this measure if you want to amend the Charter of the City of Modesto to change the date of any run-off election from the second Tuesday in December to the third Tuesday in December and to provide that a Councilmember elected in such election would hold office beginning on the first Tuesday in January following the canvass of votes.

A NO vote of this measure means:
You should vote "NO" on this measure if you want to reject this change.

 
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Arguments For Measure I
The City's run-off election is currently held on the second Tuesday of December. This proposed amendment would change the date of a run-off election to the third Tuesday in December and would provide that any Councilmember so elected on that date would take office on the second Tuesday of the following January. The purpose of this change is to ease the burden on the County Elections Clerk who conducts the City's elections. Because the run-off election is held a relatively short time after the municipal election, the County must employ additional staff to complete the municipal election and begin the run-off election process. Placing one more week between the two elections will give the County Elections Clerk additional time to process the municipal election. Any cost savings are unknown at this time.

s/Richard A. Lang
Mayor

(No arguments against Measure I were submitted)

Text for Measure I
CITY OF MODESTO CHARTER AMENDMENT MEASURE I

SECTION 300. REGULAR MUNCIPAL ELECTIONS.

Regular Municipal Elections for the election of officers and for such other purposes as the Council may prescribe shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each odd–numbered year until the year 1983. Thereafter they shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year commencing with the year 1985.

If, at a regular municipal election held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each odd-numbered year, no candidate for one of the elective offices of the City of Modesto receives a majority of the votes cast at said regular municipal election, a second regular municipal election shall be held for said office on the second third Tuesday in December of each odd-numbered year commencing with the year 1987 2001. At said second regular municipal election, the two (2) candidates receiving the highest number of votes at the first regular municipal election shall have their names placed on the ballot for election to said office.

SECTION 700. COUNCILMEMBERS. TERM OF OFFICE.

Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, the members of the Council shall hold office for a term of four (4) years from and after the first Tuesday following their election unless the election is a run-off election, in which case the Councilmember shall hold office from and after the first Tuesday in January following the canvass of votes. The members of the Council in office at the time this Charter takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of their terms or until their successors are elected and qualified. Three (3) Councilmembers shall be elected at the regular municipal election in 1963 and at each regular municipal election thereafter.

A Mayor shall be elected at the regular municipal election in 1963 and at each alternate regular municipal election thereafter.

If a tie vote makes it impossible to determine which two (2) or more candidates has been elected, said tie shall be settled by the drawing of lots, the procedure for which shall be determined by the Council. Each member of the Council shall have the right to vote on all matters coming before the Council.

Each elective office shall be deemed a separate office to be filled at any election. The City Clerk shall designate each such elective office by an appropriate descriptive designation. No candidate shall file for more than one (1) elective office; and no incumbent member of the Council shall run for a seat other than that which the member holds, except that any incumbent member of the Council may run for the seat of Mayor, and an incumbent Mayor may run for the seat of Mayor or for any other seat on the Council. Such designation shall be used on all nomination papers, certificates of election and all election papers referring to the office. After election, the designation shall have no further significance except for the purpose of designating incumbency.

Note: Any wording stricken would be deleted by this measure.

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Created: November 18, 1999 15:00
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