(A) Method of election of the members of the City Council. The elective officers of the city shall be a Mayor and four Council members. The Council shall consist of the Mayor and four Council members, each of whom, including the Mayor, shall have the right to vote on all questions coming before the Council.
(1) Council members. Each member of the Council shall serve a four year term until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Members of the Council shall be elected “by-district” and each district shall elect one Council member. Only voters who live in a district shall be eligible to vote in the election for Council member of that district. Except as provided in division (B)(2) of this section, the Council member elected to represent a district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for the Council must live in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election. Termination of residency in a district by a Council member shall create an immediate vacancy for that Council district unless a substitute residence within the district is established within 30 days of the termination of residency.
(2) Mayor. The term of office of the Mayor shall be four years until his or her successor is elected and qualified. The Mayor shall be elected by the voters of the city at-large at each general municipal election, or as otherwise provided by law. The Mayor shall be a resident of the city. The Mayor in office at the time this section takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of the full term to which he or she was elected and until his or her successor is elected and qualified.
(B) Establishment of Council member districts. Beginning with the general municipal election in November 2016, members of the Council shall be elected on a "by-district" basis from four Council member districts.
(1) Boundaries and numbering of each district.
(a) Each Council member district shall be assigned a district number, with districts numbered one through four. The boundaries and the number of each of the four electoral districts for the Council are set forth by City Council resolution, including a map of the districts, which is incorporated herein by reference. The electoral districts may be subsequently reapportioned as provided by state law. The Council members of the two even-numbered districts shall be elected by-district in November 2016 for a term of four years.
(b) The Council members of the two odd-numbered districts shall be elected by-district in November 2018 for a term of four years. After the adoption of this section all persons appointed to fill vacancies on the Council and all persons elected to fill vacancies on the Council at a special municipal election shall reside within the district to which they are appointed or elected.
(2) Technical changes to Council districts. If necessary to facilitate the implementation of this section, the City Clerk is authorized to make technical adjustments to the district boundaries that do not substantively affect the populations in the districts, the eligibility of candidates, or the residence of elected officials within any district. The City Clerk shall advise the Council of any such adjustments that are found to be required in the implementation of the district.
(3) Amendment of district boundaries. Pursuant to Cal. Elections Code § 21601, as it may be amended, the Council shall adjust the boundaries of any or all of the districts following each decennial federal census. Using the census as a basis, the Council shall adjust the boundaries so that the districts shall be as nearly equal in population as practicable and in compliance with all applicable provisions of law. Any adjustment of district boundaries shall be made by resolution adopted by the Council before the first day of November of the year following the year in which each decennial federal census is taken. Prior to the public hearing approving the adjustment of the district boundaries, the City Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed district boundaries as required by Cal. Elections Code § 21601.
(4) Transition period. A period of transition from at-large elections to by-district elections will occur from the time of adoption of the first districting plan to the time that the by-district elections are held for all Council member districts. During this period of transition, each Council member elected at-large in the regular municipal election of November 2014 will be designated by the Council as the Council member representing one of Districts One and Three in the districting plan whether or not that Council member resides in the district. The first by-district elections for Districts Two and Four shall occur during the regular municipal election in November 2016. The first by-district elections for Districts One and Three shall occur during the regular municipal election In November 2018, Nothing contained herein shall prevent an incumbent Council member at the time of the effective date of this section from running for a Council district in which that Council member resides other than the district for which that member currently holds office, if the Council member is otherwise eligible to run in that district and vacates the office of Council member for the district of non-residency if elected. No Council member may hold office in more than one district. Each incumbent Council member elected at-large shall be allowed to complete the term for which they were elected regardless of the district of residency so long as they otherwise remain eligible to hold the office and have not been removed for cause or elected to another office.
(Ord. 2015-019, passed 12-8-15)