Title
Resolution to Order Election, Approve Charter Amendment of the Ann Arbor City Charter Section for Election of Mayor and City Council Members Increasing the Term of Office for Each Member of Council, Including the Mayor, From Two To Four Years And Determine The Ballot Language for This Amendment (7 Votes Required)
Memorandum
MCL 117.21 of the Home Rule City Act provides that amendment to an existing city charter may be proposed by the legislative body of a city on a 3/5 vote of the members-elect.
The proposed amendment increases the term of office for Mayor and members of City Council from two to four years. It retains the partisan nomination and election process. It also retains staggered terms for members of City Council.
If the ballot question is approved by the voters, the members of Council elected on November 8, 2016 would continue to serve until their successors were elected November 5, 2018.
Staff
Prepared by: Mary Joan Fales, Senior Assistant City Attorney
Sponsored by: Council members Westphal, Warpehoski and Grand
Body
Whereas, Section 21(1) of the Home Rule City Act (HRCA), MCL 117.21(1), authorizes a city council to adopt a resolution proposing to amend the city charter by three-fifths vote of its members-elect and the resolution proposing to amend the city charter must set forth the exact wording of the proposed amendment to be submitted to the city voters for approval at a regular or special election:
Whereas, The resolution must set forth the ballot language for the proposed charter amendment with each proposal being limited to a single subject, and if the subject of a proposal includes more than one related proposition, each proposition shall be separately stated as a ballot proposal to afford an opportunity for a separate vote of the city voters for or against each proposition;
Whereas, Section 21(2) of the HRCA, MCL 117.21(2), requires that the ballot language for the submission to the city voters of each prop...
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