HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999-04-13 - AGENDA REPORTS - MAYOR ROTATION SYSTEM (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA
AGENDA REPORT
NEW BUSINESS City Manager
Item to be presented by` Frank Ferry
DATE: April 13, 1999
SUBJECT: MAYOR ROTATION SYSTEM
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DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office
RECOMMENDED ACTION
The following are recommendations for selecting a mayor, absent a directly elected
mayor.
1. 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
first mayor. Following McKeon was Heidt, Darcy, then Boyer. 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.
W r-Ral HOWIF
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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
El Monte
115,000
Elected Mayor
Simi Valley
106,000
Elected Mayor
West Covina
105,000
Majority of Three Councilmembers
Burbank
102,000
Majority of Three Councilmembers
Norwalk
100,948
Majority of Three Councilmembers
Downey
98,631
Rotational Mayor Based on Votes
South Gate
92,500
Majority of Three Councilmembers
Compton
90,454
Elected Mayor
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