A. The ballot shall be included with the mailed notice, and shall be in the form specified in Section 3.44.030 of this chapter, with the information as to parcel number, owner name and address, and proposed parcel assessment filled in.
B. A return envelope also shall be included with the mailed notice. The envelope shall be preprinted with the return address of the city clerk.
C. The notice specified in Section 3.44.030 of this chapter shall set forth instructions for completion, sealing and return of the ballot. Returned ballots that are not sealed, or that are not properly signed, shall be rejected.
D. Ballots may be returned by mail, in person at the office of the city clerk, or in person at the public hearing on the proposed assessment; provided, however, that all ballots must be returned prior to the close of the public hearing on the proposed assessment. In the event that the public hearing has been opened and continued to another date or dates, ballots may be returned through and including the said date or dates, and until the close of the hearing.
E. The city clerk shall receive and retain unopened all returned ballots, whether such ballots be returned by mail or in person before or during the hearing.
F. Upon close of the public hearing, or as soon thereafter as is reasonably possible, the city clerk shall open the ballots. Upon verification of the signature and other information, those ballots which have been properly and timely returned and not rejected shall be tabulated by the city clerk. Tabulation shall be in accordance with the following procedures:
1. The dollar amount of the assessments attributable to all of those ballots in favor of the assessment shall be totaled;
2. The dollar amount of the assessments attributable to all of those ballots in opposition to the assessment shall be totaled;
3. If ballots submitted against the assessment exceed the ballots submitted in favor of the assessment, weighted according to the proportional financial obligation of each affected property, the city council shall not impose or increase the assessment. In the case of an increase in an existing assessment, which existing assessment is exempt from mailed ballot requirements, the failure of those submitting ballots to approve the increase shall have no effect upon the existing assessment.
4. All ballots, including those which were rejected for noncompliance with the requirements of this chapter, shall be retained by the city clerk for a period of two years.
5. Nothing in this chapter shall preclude the city council from employing a private consultant, or the county registrar of voters, to administer all or part of the ballot process. (Ord. 2012-009 § 2; prior code § 62.07.703)