Fillmore Municipal Code Ch. 1.15 City Council Elections

The city council of the City of Fillmore hereby declares that the change of method of electing members of this council hereby enacted is being made in furtherance of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001.

(Ord. No. 23-958, § 1, 12-12-2023)

Five city council districts ("districts") are hereby established in the City of Fillmore. The boundaries of each district shall be as described on the map attached to Ord. No. 23-958 as Exhibit "A".

A. The districts specified above shall continue in effect until they are amended or repealed in accordance with law. Should the law be changed in a manner which would allow the city council to utilize a structure other than voting districts, the city council shall revisit its voting system to determine which voting system is best suited for the city.

B. Districts shall be adjusted following each decennial federal census, as required by the Elections Code and other applicable law.

(Ord. No. 23-958, § 1, 12-12-2023)

A. Following the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter, and upon commencement of "by district" elections in the order established in Section 1.15.040 of this Code, members of the city council shall be elected "by district" as defined in California Government Code Section 34871, or any successor statute.

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. Except as provided in subsection D, below, each councilmember elected by district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for city council must reside in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which they seek election at the time nomination papers are issued, pursuant to Government Code Section 34882 and Elections Code Section 10227. Termination of residency in a district by a councilmember shall create an immediate vacancy for that district unless a substitute residence within the district is established within thirty days after that termination of residency.

D. An at-large councilmember shall continue in office until the expiration of the full term to which they were elected or appointed and until their successor is qualified. If vacancies in councilmember offices elected at-large occur before expiration of the full term thereof, such vacancies shall be filled pursuant to California Government Code Section 36512.

E. Upon expiration of the full term of each councilmember elected at-large, that councilmember's successor shall be elected on a by-district basis in the district established in Section 1.15.020, and as provided in Section 1.15.040.

(Ord. No. 23-958, § 1, 12-12-2023)

Commencing with the general election in November 2024 and thereafter, the voters in districts 1, 2 and 5 shall elect members of the city council by district for full four-year terms. At the general election in 2026 and thereafter, the voters in districts 3 and 4 shall elect members of the city council by district for full four-year terms.

(Ord. No. 23-958, § 1, 12-12-2023)