17-PUBLIC HEARING MOVE TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION ORDERING CITY-WIDE ELECTION

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DRAFT S:\RESWORK\CURRENT\Special Election - Charter Amendments Ordering City-Wide Election RES 2011.docx RESOLUTION N0. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PARIS, TEXAS, ORDERING A CITY-WIDE SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON MAY 14, 2011, TO CONSIDER PROPOSITIONS CALLING FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CHARTER; PRESCRIBING THE FORM OF THE BALLOT; PERMITTING ONLY RESIDENT QUALIFIED VOTERS TO VOTE; PROVIDING FOR EARLY VOTING; PROVIDING FOR AN EARLY VOTING BALLOT BOARD; PROVIDING FOR NOTICE OF THE ELECTION; MAKING OTHER FINDINGS AND PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE SUBJECT; AND DECLARING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. WHEREAS, in response to the surveys, discussions and findings developed from the community-wide strategic planning sessions conducted at the Love Civic Center on January 12, 2011, one of the areas that the citizens of Paris want to see improvement is in the area of consistency in leadership; and, WHEREAS, one of the strategies put forward by the community-wide strategic planning groups was to extend City Council member term limits from two (2) consecutive two-year terms to three (3) consecutive two-year terms to allow more experienced Council members to serve an additional two years on the City Council if they so choose and are supported by the voters in their district; and, WHEREAS, following deliberation and discussion at their meeting on January 24, 2011, the City Council decided to call a special election on May 14, 2011 to submit a proposition to the voters to amend the City Charter to allow City Council Members to serve three (3) consecutive two-year terms; and, WHEREAS, the City Council also directed staff to bring forward another proposition to amend Section 35 of the Paris City Charter, "Independent Annual Audit," to allow the City Finance Director to solicit annual audit proposals from certified public accountants to enter into multi-year agreements to provide independent financial audit services for the City of Paris, Texas; and, WHEREAS, in conformance with the Texas Election Code, said election must be conducted at one of the uniform election dates set out in the Election Code, the next available uniform election date being the second Saturday in May, May 14, 2011; and, WHEREAS, the City Council therefore desires to order a special city-wide election to be conducted on May 14, 2011 regarding the adoption of the propositions calling for amendments to the City Charter; and, WHEREAS, the election shall be administered by the Lamar County Elections Administrator in accordance with the terms of the City's contract with Lamar County, the City Charter of the City of Paris, Texas, Texas Election Code, and Paragraphs 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 of the District Court Order entered March 15, 1976, in Civil Action No. P-75-3-CA, in the I o -t