To: Honorable Mayor and Members of City Council
From: Tiffany Carranza, City Clerk
Prepared By: Caitlin Saldanha, Deputy City Clerk
TITLE:
Title
Transition to District-Based Elections for Councilmembers
LABEL
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommendation
(1) After receiving a presentation from City staff and the City's consulting demographer, invite public input regarding draft district boundary maps, the proposed sequence of elections of Councilmembers, and an ordinance to establish district-based elections for Councilmembers.
(2) Provide direction to staff to finalize the district boundary map.
(3) Provide direction to staff to finalize the sequence of elections of Councilmembers.
(4) Introduce an ordinance establishing district-based elections for Councilmembers by amending Napa Municipal Code Title 1 to add a new Chapter 1.10 ("District-Based Elections"), and approving the district boundary map and sequence of elections for Councilmembers, to be brought back to City Council for additional public input at a public hearing on April 28, 2020, and consideration of final adoption at a public hearing on May 5, 2020.
Body
DISCUSSION:
The City of Napa is in the process of transitioning from the current at-large election system, to a district-based election system for Councilmembers. Under the at-large system, the incumbent members of (and future candidates for) the City Council may reside anywhere in the City limits. Under a district-based system, the City will be divided into four separate geographical districts, and the voters residing in each district will vote for one Councilmember who also resides in that district. The office of the Mayor will remain a separate office and be directly elected by the voters citywide.
This transition process is in response to a petition letter received by the City on January 2, 2020. On February 11, 2020, the City Council adopted a Resolution of Intent (R2020-017) which declared the City's intent to transition from at-large ...
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