A. The office of the councilpersons shall be filled through by-district elections, pursuant to Cal. Gov’t Code § 34870 through 34886.
B. Commencing with the next municipal election after the adoption of this amendment, members of the City Council shall be elected in the electoral districts established by subsection C of this section and subsequently reapportioned in accordance with state law. Elections shall take place by-district as that term is defined in Cal. Gov’t Code § 34871, meaning one member of the City Council shall be elected from each district, by the voters of the district alone. Each member of the City Council shall serve a four-year term. Such districts shall be used in all matters concerning the appointment, recall, vacancy or any other aspects of that particular council seat.
C. Members of the City Council shall be elected on a by-district basis from the five City Council districts established in Article II, Section 4 of the Alhambra City Charter.
D. Alhambra City Councilpersons shall be elected by-district for full four-year terms commencing with the next general municipal election after the adoption of this amendment and thereafter.
E. Each member of the City Council elected to represent a district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for City Council must reside in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election at the time nomination papers are issued pursuant to Cal. Gov’t Code § 34882 and Elections Code § 10227. No term of any member of the City Council that commenced prior to the effective date of this amendment shall be affected by this article until the expiration of said term. Thereafter, this article applies to all sitting councilpersons irrespective of incumbency prior to the enactment of this article.
F. If a City Council vacancy should occur prior to the completion of a councilperson’s full term, the City Council shall within thirty (30) days call a special election to fill that vacancy. The special election shall be held not less than 114 days from the call of the special election, but within 365 days from the call of the special election, and at least 365 days before the next regularly scheduled municipal election. The City Council seat shall remain vacant until a vote by the electorate fills the vacancy.
G. Registered voters signing nomination papers or voting for a member of the City Council shall be residents of the geographical area making up the district from which the candidate is to be elected.
H. Termination of residency in a district by a City Councilperson shall create an immediate vacancy for that City Council district unless the City Councilperson immediately declares and establishes another residence within the district within 30 days.
Editor’s note: This section was adopted by Resolution No. R2M20-47, which was approved by the voters of the city at a general municipal election held November 3, 2020.