Ceres Municipal Code Ch. 02 City Council

The regular meeting of the Ceres City Council shall be held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the council chambers in the Ceres Community Center at 2701 Fourth Street, Ceres, California. Closed sessions may begin earlier than 6:00 p.m. as needed, as long as the closed session items are agendized and the time for their consideration is specified on the agenda.

(Ord. No. 2019-1053, § 2, 11-12-2019)

A. The elective officers of the City of Ceres shall be a Mayor and four Councilmembers. The City Council shall consist of the Mayor and four Councilmembers, each of whom, including the Mayor, shall have the right to vote on all questions coming before the Council. The term of office of the Mayor shall be four years, and the term of office of each Councilmember shall be four years.

B. The City's general municipal election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in even-numbered years to coincide with the statewide general elections.

(Ord. No. 2019-1053, § 2, 11-12-2019)

A. The districting plan establishing four Council districts shall be approved by the voters of the city at large. The districting plan shall be adjusted by ordinance of the City Council to equalize population among the districts within one year after each census has been completed and the census data provided to the City. The boundaries and the number of each of the four electoral districts for City Council are set forth in Ordinance 2015-1029, that includes a map of the districts, which is incorporated herein by reference. Any districting plan shall be adopted by ordinance subject to referendum. The City Clerk is authorized to make non-substantive technical adjustments to the district boundaries not affecting the population of any district, the eligibility of candidates, or the residence of elected officials within any district.

B. The City of Ceres is divided into four districts for purposes of electing Councilmembers to the Council. The districting plan adjusted for census data shall include boundaries for each of the four Councilmember election districts for use in the November 2017 and November 2019 regular municipal elections. The Councilmembers in districts One and Two shall be elected by district in November of 2017 for a term of four years. The Councilmembers in districts Three and Four shall be elected by district in November 2019 for a term of four years. After the approval of the ordinance from which this Section derived, at the regular municipal election of November 2015 all persons appointed to fill vacancies on the City Council and all persons elected to fill vacancies on the City Council at a special municipal election shall reside within the district to which they are appointed or elected.

C. Consistent with the addition of Section 2.02.020B above, the terms of office of those Councilmembers presently serving whose terms would have expired in 2019, shall instead continue until the certification of the results and administration of the oaths of office after the November 2020 general municipal election. The terms of office of those Councilmembers who would have expired in November 2017, shall instead continue in their offices until certification of the results and administration of the oaths of office after the November 2018 general municipal election.

D. A period of transition from at-large elections to District elections will occur from the time of adoption of the first districting plan to the time that the by-district elections are held for all Councilmember districts. During this period of transition, each Councilmember elected at-large in the regular municipal election of November 2013 will be designated by the Council as the Councilmember representing one of Districts One and Two in the districting plan whether or not that Councilmember resides in the district. The first by-district elections for Districts Three and Four shall occur during the regular municipal election in November 2015. The first by district elections for Districts One and Two shall occur during the regular municipal election in November 2017. Nothing contained herein shall prevent an incumbent Councilmember at the time of the effective date of the ordinance from which this section derived from running for a Council district in which that Councilmember resides other than the district for which that member currently holds office, if the councilmember is otherwise eligible to run in that district and vacates the office of Councilmember for the district of non-residency if elected. No Councilmember may hold office in more than one district. Each incumbent Councilmember elected at-large shall be allowed to complete the term for which they were elected regardless of the district of residency so long as they otherwise remain eligible to hold the office and have not been removed for cause or elected to another office. For purposes of this section, "by-district" shall mean that the Councilmember shall reside within the district and be elected by the voters of that district only.

(Ord. No. 2019-1053, § 2, 11-12-2019)

A. The Mayor shall continue to be elected at the regular municipal election in November of 2015 and every four years thereafter, by the voters of the City at-large, and must reside within the City boundaries. Beginning in November of 2020, the Mayor shall be elected every four years thereafter, by the voters of the City at-large, and must reside within the City boundaries. The term of the Mayor which would have previously expired in November of 2019, shall instead continue until the certification of the results and administration of the oaths of office after the November 2020 general municipal election.

B. One member of the City Council shall reside in each of the four electoral districts established by the ordinance from which this Section derived and shall be elected by a vote of the voters of that district only. Each district shall elect one Councilmember. A Councilmember of each district must live in that district and must be a registered voter in that district to be eligible to hold the office of Councilmember for that district, and a candidate for any district must live in that district and must be a registered voter in that district to be eligible to run for the office of Councilmember for that district. Only voters who live in a district shall be eligible to vote in the election for Councilmember of that district. Each Councilmember must reside within the district for the full term of office; termination of residency within the district shall create an immediate vacancy for that Council district unless a substitute residence within the district is established within 30 days of termination of residency.

C. The members of the Council in office at the time the ordinance from which this Section derived takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of their terms and until their successors are elected and qualified. If a tie vote makes it impossible to determine which of two or more candidates has been elected, said tie shall be settled by the drawing of lots, the procedure for which shall be determined by the Council. No candidate shall file for more than one elective office. Any member of the Council may run for the office of Mayor, and upon election as Mayor shall forfeit the office of Councilmember of any district.

(Ord. No. 2019-1053, § 2, 11-12-2019)