City of Gresham - Measure 26-137

BALLOT TITLE

ELECTION OF COUNCILORS: CITY OF GRESHAM CHARTER AMENDMENT

QUESTION: Shall the Charter be amended to require election of councilors at the November presidential and gubernatorial elections?

SUMMARY: This measure would amend the Gresham Charter to require three councilors be elected at the November presidential election and three councilors be elected at the November gubernatorial election. It also would delete obsolete references to previous election dates. This amendment would clarify, but does not change, when councilors would be elected.

This measure would take effect when approved by at least sixty percent (60%) of the votes cast for or against this measure.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Gresham Charter is the constitution of the City of Gresham. The current Charter was adopted in 1978 and last amended by Gresham voters in 2004. The Charter requires City Council to appoint a charter review committee every eight years beginning in 2003. Seven community volunteers were appointed in 2011 to serve on the committee. This amendment was recommended by the committee and referred to the voters by the Gresham City Council.

This measure would amend the Gresham Charter to require three councilors be elected at the November presidential election and three councilors be elected at the November gubernatorial election. It also would delete obsolete references to previous election dates. This amendment would clarify, but not change, when councilors would be elected.

If amended, Section 8 of the Gresham Charter would read:

COUNCILORS. At the 1996 November election, councilors from positions 1, 3 and 5 shall be elected for four year terms and councilors from positions 2, 4 and 6 shall be elected for two year terms.At each biennial November election commencing in 1998, councilors shall be elected from three positions by a plurality of the voters for terms of four years. Councilors for positions 1, 3, and 5 shall be elected at the November presidential election and councilors for positions 2, 4, and 6 shall be elected at the November gubernatorial election.

(New text is underlined; deleted text is strikethrough)

This measure would take effect when approved by at least sixty percent (60%) of the votes cast for or against this measure.

For more information go to http://greshamoregon.gov/charterreview

Submitted by:

Susanjoy Baskoro,
City Recorder
City of Gresham

No arguments FOR or AGAINST this measure were filed.