SR-104-085
CC:f\ctyclerk\elections\smrhpMeasure\staffreport.electdate.doc
City Council Meeting: December 19, 2000
To: Mayor and City Council
From: City Staff
Subject: Qualification of Petition for Proposed Charter Amendment Entitled “The
Santa Monica Residents Protection and Homeownership Charter
Amendment,” and Recommendation to Set an Election Date
INTRODUCTION
On November 1, 2000, a petition containing over 12,600 signatures, and proposing an
amendment to the Charter of the City of Santa Monica was duly submitted to the City
Clerks Office. A copy of the proposed charter amendment and the ballot and title
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summary, as prepared by the City Attorney, are attached as Exhibit A. The City Clerk
requested the Los Angeles County Clerks/Registrar Recorder (County Clerk) to verify
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the signatures submitted on the petition. In order to qualify for placement on the ballot,
the petition needed a minimum of 15% of the registered voter population at the time of
publishing the notice of intent to circulate the petition. The registered voter population
at the time of publishing on April 16, 2000, was 53,779, and based on that number,
8,067 valid signatures were needed for qualification. The County Clerk’s Office has
verified that the petitions contain the minimum number of valid signatures required to
place the proposed Charter Amendment on the ballot for a public vote (Exhibit B).
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BACKGROUND
Pertinent sections of the Elections Code provide as follows, respectively:
Section 9255
(a). The following city or city and county charter proposals
Shall be submitted to the voters at either a special election called for that
purpose, at any established municipal election date, or at any established
election date pursuant to Section 1000, provided that there are at least 88 days
before the election:
(and)
Section 9255 (a)(3). An amendment or repeal of a city charter proposed
by a petition signed by 15 percent of the registered voters of the city.
Based on the provisions of the Elections Code, the City Council has three options in
setting the date for an election to place this measure on the ballot:
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Council may call a special election and set a date for an election, provided it is
at least 88 days before the election.
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Council may place the measure on the ballot at the next established municipal
election date, November 5, 2002.
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Council may set one of the election dates established in Section 1000 of the
Elections Code, including (a) the second Tuesday of April in each even-
numbered year; (b) the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of each
odd-numbered year; (c) the first Tuesday in March in each even-numbered year;
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(d) the first Tuesday after the first Monday in June of each odd-numbered year;
(e) and the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each year.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The budget impact of this measure will depend on the date that Council’s sets for an
election. If the date selected for the election provides for the option of consolidating
with Los Angeles County, the cost is expected to be approximately $50,000. This
estimate is based on the cost of the 1996 and 1998 consolidated elections. The total
cost for this year’s November election will not be known until the County furnishes the
final bill for this consolidation. If the date set for the election requires a “stand-alone”
election, it is expected that the cost will be slightly lower than the cost for the April 24-
25, 1999, “stand-alone” two-day election. The cost for the two-day election was
approximately $130,000, not including outreach costs of about $25,000.
If the date selected for the election is in the 2000-2001 fiscal year, staff will request
approval of appropriation of funds if no saving, or insufficient savings, are realized from
this year’s elections budget to cover the cost. If the date selected for the election is in
the 2001-2002 fiscal year, staff will request appropriate funding during the upcoming
budget process.
Once Council has established the election date for this measure, staff can better
calculate the estimated cost.
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RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully requested that the City Council accept the petition, as verified by the
Los Angeles County Clerk/Registrar Recorder and set a date for an election for the
purpose of placing the proposed charter amendment on the ballot for a public vote.
Staff will return at the appropriate time with the required resolutions calling for the
election and setting forth the question to be placed to the voters.
Prepared by: Maria Stewart, City Clerk
Marsha Moutrie, City Attorney
Attachments:
Exhibit A: Proposed Charter Amendment and
Ballot and Title Summary
Exhibit B: Verification of Qualification of Petition
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