Palmdale Municipal Code Ch. 2.08 City Council

On an annual basis at the first meeting in December the City Council, by majority vote of those in attendance, shall first select a council member to serve as Mayor, and immediately thereafter select a council member, by majority vote of those in attendance, to serve as Mayor Pro Tem. At the pleasure of a majority of the City Council, the City Council may, from time to time, replace either or both the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. The Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem shall not serve consecutive terms.

(Ord. 1655, 4/1/2025)

The five Councilmembers shall be elected from five geographic districts in which each resides by a vote of the electors in each respective district.

(Ord. 1357 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1471 § 2, 2015; Ord. 1579 § 2, 2022)

(A) City Council Candidate Residency. No person shall be eligible to hold office as a member of the City Council unless:

(1) He or she is a registered elector of the Council district from which he or she is nominated or appointed;

(2) He or she is a current resident of the Council district from which he or she is nominated or appointed; and

(3) He or she has been a resident of the Council district from which he or she is nominated or appointed for at least 30 days immediately preceding the commencement of the nomination filing period or their appointment to the City Council.

(B) Repealed by Ord. 1579.

(C) Nomination Papers.

(1) A City Council candidate's nomination papers must be signed by at least 20, but not more than 30, voters registered in the Council district from which he or she is nominated.

(Ord. 1483 § 1, 2016; Ord. 1579 § 2, 2022)

Unless otherwise specifically provided in this code or by state law, the City Council shall make all appointments to boards, commissions and committees of the City as follows unless otherwise formed by resolution:

(A) City Council boards, commissions and committees shall consist of a minimum of five members, who shall be nominated by each City Councilmember, subject to approval by the City Council, for appointment. All members shall be voting members of the board, commission, or committee. No member shall be a member of the City Council. It is preferable that a City Councilmember's appointee reside within the Councilmember's district; however, it is not required when subject matter expertise is desirable. Members serve at the pleasure of the City Council and may be removed prior to the expiration of their term by a vote of a majority of the members of the City Council.

(B) All board and commission vacancies shall be advertised, seeking applicants willing and desiring to be appointed to fill such vacancies. Any person seeking to be so appointed must complete and submit the City application, together with any other information requested by the City Council as appropriate for a specific board or commission.

(C) All such applications shall be provided to the City Council for review, who shall, at a regularly scheduled City Council meeting, nominate, from among such applicants, the persons whom the City Councilmembers desire to appoint by making a motion for each such appointment.

(D) If the nomination is approved by a majority vote of the City Council, the nominating City Councilmember may then proceed to appoint the person to the board or commission under consideration.

(E) If the specific nomination by the City Councilmember is not approved by a majority vote of the City Council, the City Council will nominate, by motion, a different candidate until someone is approved by majority vote of the City Council for the position under consideration.

(F) All members of boards, commissions and committees serve at the pleasure of the City Council and are subject to removal by a majority vote of the City Council.

(G) A board, commission or committee member shall serve on only one board, commission, or committee at a time. If a member is appointed to another board, commission, or committee while serving on another board, commission, or committee, that member shall immediately be deemed to have resigned from the other board, commission, or committee. Notwithstanding the above, a member of the Planning Commission shall also serve on the Public Arts Commission pursuant to PMC § 15.01.070(B).

(H) All members of boards, commissions and committees shall be entitled to compensation in the sum of $100.00 for each meeting attended; provided, however, that no member shall be paid such compensation for attendance at more than two such meetings during any one calendar month. The chair of the board, commission or committee shall be entitled to additional compensation of $50.00 per meeting attended, limited to two meetings per calendar month. In addition, all members of boards, commissions and committees shall be entitled to compensation in the sum of $100.00 for attendance at each legally required training. Notwithstanding the above, pursuant to PMC § 3.05.030(D), the Audit Committee shall not be eligible to receive any compensation, and each member of any board, commission or committee may decline to receive all compensation.

(Ord. 1561 § 1, 2021; Ord. 1579 § 2, 2022; Ord. 1608 § 1, 2023)

Regular meetings of the City Council will be held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Meetings of the City Council shall be held at 38300 Sierra Highway, Suite B, Palmdale, California. The regular meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m., followed by the closed session meeting. If all matters on the agenda for any regular meeting have not been considered by the City Council by the hour of 10:30 p.m., or such earlier or later time as may be fixed by a majority vote of the City Council, then the regular meeting may be adjourned to the next succeeding Tuesday, at the same time and the exact location, unless a different day, time or location is specified in the order of adjournment. When so adjourned, each adjourned meeting shall be a regular meeting for all purposes. At least twice a year, the City Council shall meet to receive and/or present recognitions to and/or from the community. Notice of all meetings of the City Council, whether regular, adjourned, special, or emergency, will be given in the manner required by State statute (Brown Act or successor law). When a regular Tuesday meeting of the City Council falls on an election day or a national or State holiday and City offices are scheduled to be closed, then such meetings shall not be held and will be deemed adjourned for all purposes with no further action required by the City Council or the City Clerk except such written notices of adjournment as may be required by law. The ordinances codified in this section shall take effect 30 days after adoption.

(Ord. 1649 § 2, 2025)

Each member of the City Council shall receive, as compensation for services, a salary in the amount of $1,500 per month.

(Formerly 2.08.020; Ord. 794 § 1, 1989; Ord. 936 § 1, 1991; Ord. 1194 § 2, 2002; Ord. 1300 § 2, 2007; Ord. 1357 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1566 § 1, 2021)

The Mayor shall receive, in addition to the compensation set forth in PMC § 2.08.050 (Compensation), such further amount as shall cause the total compensation for services to equal $2,000 per month.

(Formerly 2.08.025; Ord. 956 § 1, 1991; Ord. 1194 § 3, 2002; Ord. 1300 § 3, 2007; Ord. 1357 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1566 § 2, 2021; Ord. 1579 § 2, 2022; Ord. 1614 § 4 (Exh. I), 2023)

(A) The City Council has determined that efficiency would be served by receiving reimbursement for vehicle expenses at the end of each calendar month without the necessity of presentation of an itemized accounting, receipts, vouchers or other documentation, and that costs associated with use of a personal vehicle, such as fuel, maintenance, and insurance, periodically increase.

(B) The City Council shall receive a vehicle allowance, at the end of each calendar month, without the necessity of presentation of an itemized accounting, receipts, vouchers or other documentation in an amount established by resolution of the City Council. The amount of the vehicle allowance established by the City Council shall be reasonably related to what is required for the performance of the City Councilmembers' public duties.

(Formerly 2.08.030; Ord. 829 § 1, 1989; Ord. 1357 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1422 § 1, 2011)

(A) The City seal and any emblem, symbol, slogan, logotype, or other distinctive mark of the City shall be used solely for City purposes, unless otherwise authorized by the City Council. Private, commercial, noncommercial, or political use of the official seal or any emblem, symbol, slogan, logotype or other distinctive mark of the City, in whole or in part, by a City Councilmember is prohibited.

(B) City letterhead that includes the City seal or any emblem, symbol, slogan, logotype, or other distinctive mark of the City, in whole or in part, shall be used solely for official City purposes. Use of City letterhead that includes the official seal or any emblem, symbol, slogan, logotype or other distinctive mark of the City, in whole or in part, by a City Councilmember for any private, commercial, noncommercial, or political purpose, without the prior authorization of the City Council, is prohibited.

(Formerly 2.08.040; Ord. 1341 § 1, 2008; Ord. 1357 § 1, 2008)

Pursuant to Government Code Section 37104 et seq., the legislative body may issue subpoenas requiring attendance of witnesses or production of books or other documents for evidence or testimony in any action or proceeding pending before it and the subpoenas shall be signed by the Mayor and attested by the City Clerk.

(Ord. 1605 § 8, 2023)