(A) (1) Date of election. The regular city election shall be held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in every even numbered year beginning with the 1974 election.
(2) Terms and transition. At each biennial city election commencing in 1974, the Mayor shall be elected for a two-year term and two Council members shall be elected for four-year terms.
(3) Effective date. The ordinance codified in this division (A) was published 9-3-1974.
(B) (1) Municipal primary election established. There is hereby established a municipal primary election to be held prior to each general election.
(2) Time of the municipal primary election. The time of the municipal primary election shall be the same as the state primary election.
(3) Purpose of the municipal primary election. The purpose of the municipal primary election is to reduce the number of candidates to be placed on the general election ballot to twice the number of persons to be elected to an office.
(4) Exceptions. Where only twice the number of persons to be elected to a municipal office, or less, have filed, then a municipal primary election for that office shall not be held.
(5) Filing. Filing for an office shall be in the same manner as the general election.
(6) Municipal primary election results. The municipal primary election shall be conducted and the returns made in the manner provided for the state primary so far as practicable. Within two days after the election, the City Council shall canvass the returns of the municipal primary election, and the two candidates for each office who receive the highest number of votes, or a number of candidates equal to twice the number of persons to be elected to the office, who receive the highest number of votes, shall be the nominees for the office named, and their names shall be certified to the City Administrator who shall place them on the general election ballot without partisan designation and without payment of an additional fee.
(7) Other provisions. All other provisions of the municipal primary election shall be followed in the same manner as the general election of state statutes.
(Ord. 39.01, passed 8-19-1974; Ord. 80, passed 6-1-1998)