Chapter 2.09
ELECTIONS
Sections:
Article I. General
2.09.015 City Council districts established.
2.09.020 Election of members of the City Council by district.
2.09.025 Commencement of district elections.
2.09.028 Adjustment of Council district boundaries.
Article II. Fees
2.09.030 Filing fee established.
2.09.035 Petition in lieu of fees.
2.09.040 Extension of filing date.
Article I. General
2.09.010 Election dates.
General municipal elections of the City shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of November in each even-numbered year. References in this chapter to State statutes shall include any amendments thereto and any successor statutes. [Ord. 1386 § 3, 2018].
2.09.015 City Council districts established.
Five City Council districts are hereby established in the City of Lake Elsinore. The boundaries and identifying number of each district shall be as described on the official “Council District Map” on file in the office of the City Clerk. [Ord. 1387 § 2, 2018].
2.09.020 Election of members of the City Council by district.
A. Commencing with the November 2018 general municipal election, members of the City Council shall be elected “by district” as defined in California Government Code Section 34871. A person shall not be eligible to be elected to be a member of the City Council unless he or she is otherwise qualified as required by law, resides in the geographical area making up the district from which he or she is nominated to be elected and is a registered voter of the City of Lake Elsinore at the time nomination papers are issued to the candidate as provided in Section 10227 of the California Elections Code. No term of any member of the City Council that commenced on or prior to the effective date of this chapter shall be affected prior to its expiration date.
B. 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 member is to be elected.
C. The terms of the office of each member elected to the City Council shall be four years. [Ord. 1387 § 2, 2018].
2.09.025 Commencement of district elections.
Commencing with the general municipal election in November of 2018 and thereafter, the voters in Council Districts 1 and 3 shall elect members of the City Council by district for full four-year terms. At the general municipal election in 2020 and thereafter, the voters in Council Districts 2, 4 and 5 shall elect members of the City Council by district for full four-year terms. [Ord. 1387 § 2, 2018].
2.09.028 Adjustment of Council district boundaries.
A. Pursuant to Elections Code Section 21601 the City Council shall adjust the boundaries of any or all of the districts following each decennial Federal census. Using the census as a basis, the City 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 ordinance adopted by the City Council before the first day of November of the year following the year in which each decennial Federal census is taken commencing with the 2020 Federal census. The City Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed district boundaries as required by Elections Code Section 21607 prior to the introduction of an ordinance adjusting the district boundaries.
B. At the time of any annexation of territory to the City, the City Council shall designate, by resolution adopted by a vote of at least a majority of the City Council, the contiguous district to which the annexed territory shall be a part and shall amend the district boundaries if necessary in accordance with Elections Code Section 21603.
C. Pursuant to Elections Code Section 21606 the term of office of any Council member who has been elected and whose term of office has not expired shall not be affected by any change in the boundaries of the district from which he or she was elected.
D. At the first election for City Council following adjustment of the boundaries of the districts, a person meeting the requirements of Government Code Section 34882 shall be elected to the City Council for each district under the readjusted district plan that has the same district number as a district whose incumbent’s term on the Council is due to expire. [Ord. 1387 § 2, 2018].
Article II. Fees
2.09.030 Filing fee established.
A. In accordance with Section 10228 of the Elections Code of the State of California, as such section may be amended from time to time, it is hereby determined that the filing fee for each candidate’s nomination papers is set at $25.00 for a City office to be elected at a municipal election.
B. The filing fee established by subsection (A) of this section shall be payable at the time of submission of nomination papers to the City Clerk.
C. Filing fees collected pursuant to this article shall be paid into the general fund of the City. [Ord. 1386 § 3, 2018].
2.09.035 Petition in lieu of fees.
A. Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, a candidate for a City office may submit, in lieu of all or part of the required filing fee, a petition containing four qualified signatures for each dollar of the filing fee not paid.
B. Within the meaning of this section, a qualified signature is the signature of a person who, at the time of providing such signature, was a registered voter within the City.
C. Any petition submitted pursuant to this section in lieu of all or part of the required filing fee shall be submitted to the City Clerk with nomination papers related thereto, together with the amount of the filing fee, if any, remaining to be paid. [Ord. 1386 § 3, 2018].
2.09.040 Extension of filing date.
Nothing contained in this article shall be construed to extend or otherwise modify the period of time for filing nomination papers for candidates of City offices. [Ord. 1386 § 3, 2018].