Chapter 2.04
CITY COUNCIL

Sections:

2.04.010    Elective mayor – Term of office.

2.04.020    Elective mayor – Powers and duties.

2.04.030    Compensation limits for mayor and Council members.

2.04.030.5    No City paid health-and-welfare benefits for mayor and Council members.

2.04.040    Term limits.

2.04.010 Elective mayor – Term of office.

Pursuant to the results of the municipal election held in March of 1978, the office of the mayor shall be an elective office, and the term thereof shall be two years. (1960 code § 2.1.2)

2.04.020 Elective mayor – Powers and duties.

A. The mayor shall be a member of the City Council and have all the powers and duties of a member of the City Council.

B. Additionally, the mayor shall have all the powers and duties of elective mayor as provided by statute, including, but not limited to:

1. Presiding at meetings of the City Council;

2. Appointing all members of committees of the City Council. (Ord. 2065 § 1(A), 2018; Ord. 1328 § 1, 1990; 1960 code § 2.1.3)

2.04.030 Compensation limits for mayor and Council members.

A. The mayor and members of the City Council are part-time employees for the City.

B. Pursuant to Government Code Sections 36516 and 36516.5, each member of the Livermore City Council, except the mayor, shall receive compensation in the amount of $1,070 per month effective as of the first day after any of the Council members begins a new term of office, or beginning December 1, 2014, whichever occurs later. Subsequent increases to Council member compensation are restricted by the limitations in subsection D of this section.

C. Pursuant to Government Code Section 36516.1, the elective mayor shall receive compensation in the amount of $1,490 per month effective as of the first day after any of the Council members begins a new term of office, or beginning December 1, 2014, whichever occurs later. Subsequent increases to mayoral compensation are restricted by the limitations in subsection D of this section.

D. Pursuant to Government Code Section 36516, the compensation for the City Council members and mayor may be increased up to a maximum of five percent for each calendar year since the last increase, effective when a new term of office for any City Council member or mayor commences. However, Livermore desires to be more restrictive and hereby prohibits multi-year increases and only allows a single increase before any new term of office commences, and limits any such increase to the lesser of either the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the San Francisco Bay Area (W) from the prior election cycle or five percent of the then existing compensation. No part of this subsection shall be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people.

E. The City shall not provide stipends to the mayor or members of the City Council for items such as cellular telephones or automobiles, but the City may, consistent with the City’s expense reimbursement policies for its employees, reimburse the mayor and City Council members for actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of official City duties.

F. The compensation set herein shall supersede the provision of any and all ordinances or resolutions heretofore adopted or in effect.

The compensation for the mayor shall be $1,564.50 per month and the compensation for each Council member shall be $1,123.50 per month and shall apply when the terms commence for the mayor and Council members elected at the November 5, 2024, general municipal election. (Ord. 2167 § 3, 2024; Ord. 2065 § 1(A), 2018; Ord. 2016 § 1(D), 2015; Ord. 2014 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1996 § 1, 2014; Ord. 1831 § 1, 2007; Ord. 1527 §§ 1, 2, 1998; Ord. 1210 § 1, 1986; 1960 code § 2.1.1)

2.04.030.5 No City paid health-and-welfare benefits for mayor and Council members.

A. Pursuant to Government Code Sections 53200, 53201, 53202, 53208, and 53208.5, each member of the City Council and the mayor may, but is not required to, participate in the health-and-welfare benefits offered by the City to its employees.

B. The City is expressly prohibited from paying the cost for any mayor or Council member to participate in the health-and-welfare benefits offered by the City to its employees.

C. Any mayor or Council member that elects to participate in the health-and-welfare benefits offered by the City to its employees must participate on a self-paid basis.

D. This section shall supersede the provision of any and all ordinances or resolutions heretofore adopted or in effect concerning the health-and-welfare benefits for Council members and mayor.

E. No part of this section shall be repealed or amended except by a vote of the people. (Ord. 2065 § 1(A), 2018; Ord. 2016 § 1(D), 2015; Ord. 2015 § 1, 2014)

2.04.040 Term limits.

A. No person who has served terms totaling eight consecutive years as mayor shall be qualified for further service in that office until he or she has a break in service in that office of at least two years.

B. No person who has served terms totaling eight consecutive years as a Council member shall be qualified for further service in that office until he or she has a break in service in that office of at least two years.

C. The disqualifications imposed by this section shall not prevent a person who is disqualified from serving as mayor from serving as Council member or a person who is disqualified from serving as a Council member from serving as mayor. However, any person who has served terms totaling 16 consecutive years in the offices of mayor and Council member shall be disqualified from further service in either office until he or she has a break in service from both offices of at least two years.

D. As used in this section, a person shall be considered to have served a “term” of office if such person has served one-half of a full term of office plus one day.

E. Time spent in office prior to the enactment of this section shall not be counted in computing consecutive terms in office.

F. A term of office for a member of the City Council shall be four years. (Ord. 2065 § 1(A), 2018; Ord. 2016 § 1(D), 2015; Ord. 1971 § 1(A), 2012; Ord. 1701-1 § 1, 2003)