HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-01-14 - AGENDA REPORTS - MAYOR SELECTION PROCESSO
Agenda Item: 3
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
NEW BUSINESS
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CITY MANAGER APPROVAL: L3
DATE:
January 14, 2025
SUBJECT:
MAYOR SELECTION PROCESS
DEPARTMENT:
City Manager's Office
PRESENTER:
Kenneth W. Striplin
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council discuss the Mayor Selection Process and provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND
In December 1988, the City of Santa Clarita's (City) first City Council adopted a policy (Policy
I-1) of rotating the role of the Mayor between each of the City Councilmembers on an annual
basis in December, based on the highest number of votes achieved. At the regular City Council
meeting on April 13, 1999, the City Council voted to change the process for the selection of the
Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tern to be decided by a majority vote of the City Council. The process
was revisited during the regular City Council meeting on April 9, 2019; however, no changes
were made.
At the December 10, 2024, City Council meeting, Councilwoman Marsha McLean requested an
item be placed on a future agenda for City Council to discuss the Mayor Selection Process.
The original policy, Policy I-1, and related agenda items are attached for reference.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
None by this action.
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ATTACHMENTS
Policy I-1 (Adopted December 22, 1988)
April 13, 1999 Item # 14
April 9, 2019 Item # 11
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CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
POLICY/PROCEDURE
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NUMBER I_1
_jIGINAL ISSUE
December 22,
CURRENTISSUE
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EFFECTIVE
December 22, 1988
EFFECTIVE
SUBJECT
ANNUAL MAYOR'S ROTATION
CATEGORY
SUPERCEDES I
LEGISLATIVE RELATIONS
(CITY COUNCIL)
STANDARD MANAGEMENT PROCEDURE
I. PURPOSE
The purpose of this procedure is two fold:
1. To enunciate the City Council policy for the rotation of
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Mayor; and
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2. To foster a cooperativespir.it among Councilmembers by
depoliticizing the selection of the position of Mayor.
II. GENERAL
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It is the declared policy of the City Council to rotate the
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position of Mayor at the end of each calendar year. The rotation
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is to take place the second meeting in December. The order of
rotation is based on the highest number of votes achieved
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beginning with:
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Howard McKeon
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Jan Heidt
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Jo Anne Darcy
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Carl Boyer
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Dennis Koontz
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These current Councilmembers supercede a newly elected
Councilmember who may achieve a higher number of votes.
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In.the event of two or three new Councilmembers being elected, the
Councilmembers will be rotated through the Mayor's position
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based upon the highest number of votes achieved following the
above noted priority list.
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III. AUTHORITY
Adopted by City Council December 22, 1988. -
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.;'G'eG'rge A. Caravalho
City Manager
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CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
NEW BUSINESS
DATE: April 13, 1999
City Manager Appro`
Item to be presented by Frank Ferry
SUBJECT: MAYOR ROTATION SYSTEM
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Officb
RECOMMENDED ACTION
The following are recommendations for selecting a mayor, absent a directly elected
mayor.
L . Change the current system and let the City Council decide by a majority vote
who is the next mayor and mayor pro-tem, not to be based upon the past number
of votes a councilmember received in an election.
. 2. Continue the current mayoral rotation system whereby the City Council selects
the mayor'based upon the number of votes individual councilmembers receive at
election time.
BACKGROUND
When the City incorporated in 1987, the City Council adopted a policy (I-1, effective
December 22, 1998) of rotating the mayor between each of the councilmembers on an
annual basis to coincide with the City's birthday on December 15.
The rotation was based upon the number of votes individual councilmembers
garnered. Originally, McKeon received the highest number of votes so he was the
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111 au llluj- i V -r, ltlVtil.Val was -e-Ak., .I.J [il Vy, lL11G11 1Jvy Gl. As new
councilmembers were elected, the City Council continued the "highest vote -getter"
procedure for selecting a mayor and mayor pro-tem, following a one-year term on the
Council.
The following eighteen cities were surveyed from the "League of California Cities
Directory." The cities were chosen based on a population of 90,000 or more. 11 of
the 18 cities directly elect their mayor, 5 of the 18 cities choose their mayor based on
a majority of three votes of their council (not based on rotation), and 2 of 18 cities
(Santa Clarita and Downey) elect their mayor based on rotation.
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City
Population
Mayor Selection Process
Los Angeles
3,485,398
Elected Mayor
Long Beach
425,800
Elected Mayor
Glendale
197,560
Majority of Three Councilmembers
Santa Clarita
141,690
Rotational Mayor Based on Votes
Torrance
141,500
Elected Mayor
Pomona
141,385
Elected Mayor
Pasadena
135,000
Elected Mayor
Lancaster
123,197
Elected Mayor
Inglewood
118,484
Elected Mayor
Palmdale
116,202
Elected Mayor
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El Monte
115,000
Elected Mayor
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Simi Valley
106,000
Elected Mayor
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West Covina
105,000
Majority of Three Councilmembers
Burbank
102,000
Majority of Three Councilmembers
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Norwalk
100,948
Majority of Three Councilmembers
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Downey
98,631
Rotational Mayor Based on Votes
South Gate
92,500
Majority of Three Councilmembers
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Compton
90,454
Elected Mayor
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Agenda Item: 11
CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
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CITY MANAGER APPROVAL:
DATE: April 9, 2019
SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF MAYOR SELECTION PROCESS
DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
PRESENTER: Kenneth W. Striplin
RECOMMENDED ACTION
City Council discuss and provide direction to staff.
BACKGROUND
At the January 8, 2019, City Council Meeting, Mayor McLean proposed that, "Council adopt,
within the Norms and Procedures, a rotation policy stating that each elected City councilmember
shall have a turn to serve as mayor pro tem for one year and then serve as mayor in the
subsequent year. Have this enacted as of the second Tuesday of December, 2019, beginning
with the current Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Smyth rotating into mayor and Councilman Bill
Miranda becoming the mayor pro tem. Then in the following years, the councilperson who has
not served as mayor pro tem for the longest period of time will be named mayor pro tem to rotate
to becoming mayor in the next year and so on."
In December 1988, the City's first Council adopted a policy of rotating the role of mayor
between each of the councilmembers on an annual basis in December, based on the highest
number of votes achieved. At the regular City Council meeting on April 13, 1999 (agenda item
attached), the City Council voted to change the process for the selection of mayor and mayor pro
tem, to be decided by a majority vote of the City Council.
In reviewing other cities' selection process, there does not appear to be a consistent model. The
options include a majority selection process, automatic rotation based on the number of votes
received during an election, or an automatic rotation based on seniority.
ALTERNATIVE ACTION
Other action as determined by the City Council.
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FISCAL IMPACT
None by this action.
ATTACHMENTS
April 1999 Mayor Rotation Agenda Item
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