Carpinteria Municipal Code Ch. 2.06 City Council District Elections

Pursuant to Government Code Section 34886, the city council of the City of Carpinteria intends to change from an at-large election system used since the city's incorporation to district based elections for city councilmembers. Said change is being made in furtherance of the purposes of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001. A district-based election system is one where the city is divided into separate geographical areas making up the districts and voters residing within the district elect a representative who also resides within the district.

(Ord. No. 752, § 2, 4-11-2022)

Five city council districts are established in the City of Carpinteria. The boundaries and identifying numbers of each district shall be as described on the council district map approved by the council and maintained by the city clerk in the official records of the city and the county elections office. The council district map may be amended from time, such as following the decennial U.S. Census, to ensure that the districts are in compliance with all applicable provisions of law.

(Ord. No. 752, § 2, 4-11-2022)

A. Upon commencement of "by-district" election in the order established in Section 2.06.040 of this code, members of the city council shall be elected "by district" as defined in California Government Code Section 34871 and/or any successor statute. Any candidate for city council must have been a resident and registered voter of the district in which he or she seeks election for at least thirty days before the time he or she files nominating papers or equivalent declaration of candidacy for such office, or such person's appointment to fill a vacancy therein as established in the California Government Code Section 34882. The mayor and vice-mayor shall be selected by their fellow councilmembers. No term of any member of the city council that commenced prior to the effective date of the ordinance from which this chapter is derived shall be affected by the adoption of this chapter.

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 office of each member elected to the city council shall be four years.

D. Termination of residency in a district by a councilmember shall create a vacancy for that city council district unless another residence within the district is immediately declared and established within thirty days after the termination of residency.

(Ord. No. 752, § 2, 4-11-2022)

A. The district-based election system established by this chapter shall be first implemented for the general municipal election in November 2022 and every two years thereafter.

B. Beginning November 2022, and every four years thereafter, the voters in districts 1, 3, and 5 shall elect members of the city council by district for four-year terms. At the general municipal election in 2024 and every four years thereafter, the voters in districts 2 and 4 shall elect members of the city council by district to four-year terms.

C. 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.

(Ord. No. 753, § 2, 4-11-2022)

A. A vacancy in an office filled by at-large election shall be filled by appointment or election from the city at-large in accordance with California Government Code Section 36512.

B. A vacancy in an office of a "by district" councilmember shall be filled by a person who resides in and is a registered voter in the district.

(Ord. No. 752, § 2, 4-11-2022)

(A) In accordance with Section 10228 of the California Elections Code, as such section may be amended from time to time, it is hereby determined that a filing fee for each city council candidate's nomination papers for elective office shall be established by resolution of the City Council.

(B) The filing fee established in 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. No. 774, § 2, 12-11-2023)

(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a candidate for city council 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, is a registered voter of the city and a resident of the geographical area making up the district from which the councilmember candidate is to be elected.

(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. No. 774, § 2, 12-11-2023)

(A) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be construed to extend or otherwise modify the period of time for filing nomination papers for candidates of city council office.

(Ord. No. 774, § 2, 12-11-2023)