La Palma Municipal Code Art. XIII City Council Elections

The City Council 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. 2022-08, § 1, 10-4-2022)

Five City Council districts are hereby established in the City. The boundaries and identifying number of each district shall be as described on the City of La Palma Council District Map and incorporated hereby by this reference.

(Ord. No. 2022-08, § 1, 10-4-2022)

(a) Following the effective date of this ordinance and upon the commencement of "by district" elections in the order established by resolution, members of the City Council shall be elected "by district" as defined in Government Code § 34871 or any successor statute. No term of any member of the City Council that commenced prior to the effective date of the ordinance codified in this article shall be affected by the adoption of the same.

(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 the office of each member elected to the City Council shall remain four years.

(Ord. No. 2022-08, § 1, 10-4-2022)

All five Councilmembers shall be elected on a "by-district" basis from the City Council districts shown and numbered on the map titled "City of La Palma Council District Map," a copy of which shall be on file in the City Clerk's office. The following three City Council districts shall be elected by-district in 2024 and every four years thereafter: district one, district three, and district five. In the 2026 general municipal election and every four years thereafter, the following two City Council districts shall be elected by-district: district two and district four.

(Ord. No. 2022-08, § 1, 10-4-2022; Ord. No. 2022-14, § 1, 12-13-2022)

Pursuant to Elections Code § 21601, as it may be amended from time to time, the City Council shall adjust the boundaries of any or all of the districts following each decennial federal census to ensure that the districts are in compliance with all applicable provisions of law. The City Council may adopt and amend such boundaries by resolution and the City Clerk shall cause a copy of such boundaries to be attached to this Code upon adoption.

Pursuant to Elections Code § 21606, 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. 2022-08, § 1, 10-4-2022)