03 Charter Review Com Report - Laserfiche WebLink

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o For o Against 53. Amend Section 97, "Election of councilmen by majority," to provide that candidates for city council shall be elected by majority vote, requiring that the winner receive more than 50 percent of the votes cast, rather than by plurality vote, in which the winner is the candidate receiving the most votes, and that in the event of a tie there shall be a runoff election, so that the section reads as follows: At the regular municipal election or any special election held to fill vacancies on the city council, the winning candidate for the office of councilman shall be the one who receives more than 50 percent of the votes cast for the office. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent, a runoff election shall be held in accordance with the Texas Election Code between the two candidates who received the most votes. D For D Against 54. Amend Section 99, "Canvassing elections," to provide that the canvassing of elections, including runoff elections, shall be conducted in the manner and time required by state law, so that the section reads as follows: Returns of elections, general, runoff, and special, shall be made by the election officers to the city council, and shall be canvassed by the council and the result of the election declared, at a regular or special meeting of the council occurring after the date of the election, in the manner and during the time required by state law for the canvassing of elections. D For D Against 55. Amend Section 100, "Power of initiative," to clarify that the number of signatures required on a petition to initiate an ordinance under the power of initiative is based on the total votes in all seven districts in the last contested election in each, so that the section shall read: Qualified voters of the city shall have power to propose any ordinance except an ordinance appropriating money or authorizing the levy of taxes, and to adopt or reject the same at the polls, such power being known as the initiative. Any initiative ordinance may be submitted to the council by a petition signed by qualified voters of the city equal in number to at least 25 percent of the number of votes cast in the cumulative seven districts in the last contested general election for each district. D For D Against 56. Amend Section 101, "Power of referendum," to clarify that the number of signatures required on a petition to repeal an ordinance under the power of referendum 15 1"