Vernon Municipal Code Art. III City Council

CH: 3.1. Composition.

There shall be a City Council composed of five members, with staggered terms as provided in Section 3.4, elected at large by the qualified voters of the City.

(Adopted and ratified by the voters at the election of June 2, 2009)

CH: 3.2. Powers.

Subject to the provisions of this Charter, and the valid delegation by this Charter of any power to any person, officer, board or committee, the City Council shall have the power and authority, in the name of the City, to exercise all of the governmental, legislative, administrative or other power, authority or function of the City which a City Council could exercise under the Constitution of the State of California and which now or hereafter would be competent for this Charter specifically to enumerate.

CH: 3.3. Eligibility.

No person shall be eligible to hold the office of Council member unless he or she has resided in the City of Vernon and been registered to vote for at least 30 consecutive calendar days immediately preceding the date nomination papers are issued to such person by the City Clerk, and remains a resident and registered voter continuously in the City until the election and throughout his or her term as Councilmember.

(Adopted and ratified by voters at election of August 31, 2010)

CH: 3.4. Election and terms.

The regular election of Councilmembers shall be held on the second Tuesday of April in each year, commencing in 2010. The terms of Council members shall be staggered so that each Council member shall serve a five year term and one Council member shall be elected each year; provided, however, that in order to effect the election of Council members according to staggered terms as set forth above, upon adoption of this section by the voters, the City Council shall assign each Council position a number, with the Council seats which expire in 2010 assigned numbers 1, 2 and 3 by lot, and Council seats which expire in 2012 assigned numbers 4 and 5 by lot. Council seat number 3 will be subject to election for five year terms commencing in 2010. Council seat number 1 will have its term extended one year to 2011, and will be subject to election for five year terms commencing in 2011. Council seat number 2 will have its term extended two years to 2012, and will be subject to election for five year terms commencing in 2012. Council seat number 4 will have its term extended one year to 2013, and will be subject to election for five year terms commencing in 2013. Council seat number 5 will have its term extended for two years to 2014, and will be subject to election for five year terms commencing in 2014.

No person may serve more than two terms of office as member of the City Council. This limitation on the number of terms of office shall apply prospectively only and terms of office that began before the effective date of this chapter shall not apply to the two term limit. The completion of any unexpired term to which a Councilmember was elected shall not be considered a term for the purposes of this chapter.

The City Council shall be the final judge of election results and the qualifications of its members. The City Council shall canvass the returns of an election beginning on the first Tuesday following a City Council election and continue such canvass in the time, form, and manner required by the City Charter, Vernon Municipal Code, and the general laws of the State governing municipal elections. The terms of each elected Council Member shall begin at the hour the election results are certified by the City Council. In the absence of death, removal from office or disqualification, each Council Member shall serve until expiration of his or her term and until a successor qualifies.

(Adopted and ratified by voters at election of November 8, 2011; amended by Res. No. 2024-023, ratified by the voters April 8, 2025)

CH: 3.5. Mayor.

At the Council meeting at which any Council member is installed following a regular municipal election, and at any time when there is a vacancy in the office of Mayor, the position of Mayor shall be filled by the Council Member entering the fifth (last) year of their Council seat's term. In the event any Council Member scheduled to be Mayor is unable or desires not to be Mayor, the position of Mayor shall be filled by the Council Member entering the fourth year of their Council seat's term, and so on in descending order if necessary.

The Mayor shall be the presiding officer of the City Council.

The Mayor shall be a member of the City Council for all purposes and shall have all the rights, powers and duties of a member of the City Council in addition to those powers and duties conferred upon the Mayor by virtue of his or her office. The Mayor shall be the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes. The Mayor shall perform such other duties consistent with the office of mayor as may be prescribed by this Charter or as may be provided by the City Council. The Mayor shall serve in his or her capacity at the pleasure of the City Council and may be removed by a majority vote of the members of the City Council.

(Amended by Res. No. 2019-53, ratified by the voters April 14, 2020; Res. No. 2024-023, ratified by the voters April 8, 2025)

CH: 3.6. Mayor Pro Tempore.

At the time that a Mayor is appointed, the position of Mayor Pro Tempore shall be filled by the Council Member entering the fourth year of their Council seat's term. In the event any Council Member scheduled to be Mayor Pro Tempore is unable or desires not to be Mayor Pro Tempore, the position of Mayor Pro Tempore shall be filled by the Council Member entering the third year of their Council seat's term, and so on in descending order if necessary.

The Mayor Pro Tempore shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the City Council and may be removed by a majority vote of the members of the Council. The Mayor Pro Tempore shall perform the duties of the Mayor during the Mayor's absence or disability.

(Amended by Res. No. 2019-53, ratified by the voters April 14, 2020; Res. No. 2024-023, ratified by the voters April 8, 2025)

CH: 3.7. Vacancy.

The City Council shall not have the power to appoint a Council member under any circumstances.

If any vacancy occurs in the City Council for whatever reason, the City Council shall call a special election to fill the vacancy. Any person elected to fill a vacancy on the City Council shall hold office for the remainder of the term in the absence of death, removal from office or disqualification.

If an election occurs at which one or more full terms and one or more unexpired terms are to be filled, no distinction between the full terms and the unexpired terms shall be made in nominating or voting. The person or persons elected by the highest number of votes shall be elected for the full term or terms and the person or persons elected with the subsequent highest number of votes shall be elected for the unexpired term or terms.

(Adopted and ratified by voters at election of November 22, 2011; amended by voters at election of April 14, 2015)

CH: 3.8. Forfeiture.

The following shall be grounds for forfeiture of a Council member's office:

(a) Absence from three consecutive regular meetings of the Council without permission of, or excuse by, the Council, for absence from at least one of those meetings expressed in its official minutes;

(b) Conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude;

(c) Failure at any time during the Council member's term of office to meet any qualification for office prescribed by this Charter or by the Constitution of the State of California.

CH: 3.9. Forfeiture procedure.

The Council shall be the final judge of the grounds for forfeiture of a Councilmember's office and for that purpose shall have the power to subpoena witnesses, administer oaths and require the production of evidence. A member charged with forfeiture of office shall be entitled to a public hearing on demand. Notice of such hearing shall be given in the manner provided by ordinance.

An order of the City Council of forfeiture shall be effective immediately. A petition for judicial review of such order may be filed in a court of competent jurisdiction within two weeks after notice to the Councilmember of such order. Sending a copy of the order of forfeiture by United States mail, certified and postage prepaid, addressed to the Councilmember at his or her address on file with the City Clerk, shall constitute notice for purposes of this section. During the pendency of any such judicial action or proceeding, anyone appointed by the Council or elected to fill the vacancy resulting from such forfeiture shall have all the rights, duties, and powers of a Councilmember and shall continue in such office for the remainder of the term (in the absence of death, removal from office or disqualification) unless and until a final judgment is rendered holding the declaration of forfeiture to be invalid or ordering the Council to reinstate the Councilmember.

CH: 3.10. Council meetings and rules of order.

The City Council shall hold regular meetings at least once each month. The frequency, time and place of meetings, provisions for adjournment of meetings and calling of special meetings and the rules of order for the conduct of Council proceedings shall be established by ordinance adopted by the Council.

CH: 3.11. Compensation.

The Council may determine the base compensation of Councilmembers by resolution adopted by a majority vote of the members of the Council. Any change in the base compensation of councilmembers shall be effective on the first day of the following fiscal year or such other date as may be specified in the resolution. The Council shall not increase the base compensation of Councilmembers in excess of cost-of-living adjustments.

In addition to such base compensation, individual Councilmembers may be compensated for serving on City Boards, Commissions, Committees or other City governmental bodies. Such additional compensation shall be set by resolution adopted by a majority vote of the members of the Council. Any change in additional compensation of Councilmembers shall be effective on the first day of the following fiscal year or such other date as may be specified in the resolution. The Council shall not increase such additional compensation of Councilmembers in excess of cost-of-living adjustments.

Councilmembers shall also receive compensation for actual or anticipated expenses that may be incurred in the performance of their duties of office.

(Adopted and ratified by voters at election of November 22, 2011)