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RESOLUTION NO. 5913
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHANDLER,
ARIZONA, ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR
NOVEMBER
4,
2025,
FOR
THE
SUBMISSION
OF
PROPOSED
AMENDMENTS TO THE CITY CHARTER REGARDING THE ELIGIBILITY
OF PERSONS TO SERVE CONSECUTIVE TERMS AS MAYOR AND
COUNCILMEMBER; DIRECTING PUBLICATIONS AS REQUIRED BY
LAW; DESIGNATING THE PLACE AND TIME TO ACCEPT ARGUMENTS
FOR AND AGAINST THE QUESTION; ESTABLISHING THE CONDUCT OF
ELECTIONS INCLUDING BALLOT TABULATION REQUIREMENTS;
AUTHORIZING AN AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY
AND PAYMENT OF ELECTION EXPENDITURES; SETTING FORTH THE
VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE AND VOTER RIGHTS ACT
REQUIREMENTS; DESIGNATING THE ELECTION AS AN ALL-MAIL
BALLOT ELECTION; ESTABLISHING CANVASSING AND REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS;
AND
INCLUDING
A
SEVERABILTY
AND
RATIFICATION CLAUSE.
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to propose amendments to the City Charter to clarify certain
ambiguities in the Charter regarding the eligibility of persons to serve consecutive terms as mayor
and councilmember, as shown on Exhibit “A” hereto; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary for the City Council to submit the proposed charter amendments to the
qualified electors of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City Council may consolidate the special election with any other election
conducted in the City on November 4, 2025.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Chandler, Arizona,
as follows:
Section 1.
That the proposed amendments to the City Charter for the City of Chandler attached
hereto as Exhibit “A” and by reference made a part hereof, be submitted to the vote
of the qualified electors of the City at a special election to be held on November 4,
2025.
Section 2.
Order and Call for Election; Ballot. Pursuant to Sections 7.03 and 10.09 of the City
Charter for the City of Chandler and Article 13, Section 2 of the Arizona
Constitution, a special election in the City is hereby ordered and called to be held
on November 4, 2025, to submit to the qualified electors of the City the proposed
amendments to the City Charter shown on Exhibit A. The form of Ballot is attached
hereto as Exhibit “B” and incorporated herein.
Resolution 5913
Page 2
Section 3.
Publications; Informational Pamphlet. The City Clerk is hereby directed to cause
the preparation and distribution of any required publications as required by law
including an informational pamphlet and sample ballot pursuant to, and meeting
the requirements of, A.R.S. § 19-141 and Section 7.03 of the City Charter and, if
the City Clerk determines it to be in the City’s best interests, combine such
informational pamphlet and sample ballot with any other publicity pamphlet being
prepared for the November 4, 2025 general or special election. The officers of the
City are hereby authorized to prepare and deliver, or cause to be prepared and
delivered, to the City Clerk the information necessary or appropriate for completing
the informational pamphlet.
The informational pamphlet is to be mailed before the earliest date of receipt of a
requested early ballot to the residence of each registered voter of the City as shown
on the general county register.
Section 4.
Arguments; Notice and Submittal. Pursuant to A.R.S. § 19-141(C), as amended,
the City hereby sets the date of Wednesday, August 6, 2025, at the hour of 5:00
p.m. as the deadline to submit arguments “for” or “against” the proposed charter
amendments. Each argument shall not exceed 300 words in length, and $150.00
shall be deposited with the City Clerk, 175 S. Arizona Avenue, 1st Floor, by the
person submitting each argument, to offset a portion of the proportionate cost of
paper and printing the argument. The City Clerk is authorized to publish in a
newspaper of general circulation within the City a notice stating the deadline for
filing with the City arguments “for” or “against” the charter amendments, for
inclusion in the informational pamphlet pertaining to the amendments. The City
Clerk is authorized to prepare the notice as necessary to comply with all applicable
laws.
Section 5.
Conduct of Election; Contracts; Expenditures. The election will be conducted in
the manner provided by law, and the poll lists kept, and the votes cast thereat will
be counted and tabulated, and the returns thereof will be made in the manner
provided by law and only persons who are qualified electors of the City will vote
at the City special election. The special election may be consolidated with any
other election conducted in the City on November 4, 2025.
The City Clerk is hereby authorized and directed to cause ballots to be printed and
delivered to the election boards to be furnished to the qualified electors eligible to
vote at the special election. The special election may be conducted using either
electromechanical or electronic vote recording and ballot counting equipment or
paper ballots, as shall be determined to be in the best interests of the City by the
Maricopa County Elections Department and the Mayor and the City Clerk or either
of them. The Mayor and the City Clerk or either of them is each hereby authorized
and directed to enter into a contract with the Maricopa County Recorder to obtain
precinct registers for the election and to enter into an agreement with the Maricopa
County Elections Department to conduct the special election for the City.
Resolution 5913
Page 3
The City Council hereby authorizes all expenditures as may be necessary to order,
notice, hold and administer the special election, which expenses shall be paid from
current operating funds of the City.
The City Clerk is hereby authorized to take all necessary action to facilitate the
special election.
Section 6.
Deadline for Voter Registration and Early Voting Dates. A voter in this special
election must be a qualified elector of the City. Maricopa County registration and
voting lists will be used for the special election. To be qualified to vote in the
special election, a City resident must be registered to vote by midnight on Monday,
October 6, 2025.
Absentee/early voting with respect to the special election will be permitted in
accordance with the provisions of A.R.S. Title 16, Chapter 4, Article 8.
Section 7.
Voting Rights Act and Spanish Translation. To comply with the Voting Rights Act
of 1965, as amended, the proceedings pertaining to this election will be translated
into Spanish and posted, published, distributed, and/or recorded in each instance
where posting, publication, distribution, and/or recording of such proceedings are
required, such as this call of election, the notice of election, ballots, the request for
arguments, the informational pamphlet, all early voting materials and all
instructions relating thereto, including instructions at the polling places.
Section 8.
Designating Election Format. The special election shall be an all-mail ballot
election as authorized by A.R.S. § 16-409(A). A ballot box for drop-off will be
available beginning October 8, 2025, at Chandler City Hall, 175 S. Arizona
Avenue. A ballot replacement site will be established at Chandler City Hall
beginning October 27, 2025. There will be no polling places.
Ballots shall be counted by the voting system in use by the Maricopa County
Elections Department for the recordation of the electors’ choices as authorized by
Arizona law.
Section 9.
Canvass of Election; Reporting. The election officials will forward the votes cast
to the City Council for canvassing. The City Council will meet at the Council
Chambers on a day that is within 20 days after the election date to canvass the
returns of the election and to certify the result, as provided by Arizona law. The
City Clerk is authorized and directed to file and record a certificate of result of
election in the office of the Maricopa County Recorder: (i) disclosing the purpose
of the election, (ii) the total number of votes cast and the total number of votes for
and against the proposed charter amendments and (iii) stating whether the
amendment is ordered. On filing and recording the certificate, the City Council
will carry out the purpose of the special election. The City Clerk is authorized to
Resolution 5913
Page 4
submit an all-mail ballot election report to the President of the Senate and Speaker
of the House of Representatives by January 1, 2026, as required by A.R.S. § 16-
409(B).
Section 10. Severability. If any section, paragraph, clause or phrase of this resolution shall for
any reason be held to be invalid or unenforceable, the invalidity or unenforceability
of such section, paragraph, clause or phrase shall not affect any of the remaining
provisions of this resolution. The City Council hereby declares that the City would
have adopted this resolution and each and every other section, paragraph,
subdivision, sentence, clause or phrase hereof and authorized and approved the
actions of the City pertaining to the election pursuant hereto irrespective of the fact
that any one or more sections, paragraphs, subdivisions, sentences, clauses or
phrases of this resolution may be held illegal, invalid or unenforceable.
Section 11.
Ratification. All actions of the City Council, officers, employees and agents of the
City which are in conformity with the purposes and intent of this resolution,
whether heretofore or hereafter taken, shall be and are hereby ratified, confirmed,
authorized and approved.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Chandler, Arizona, this 22nd day
of May, 2025.
ATTEST:
____________________________________
____________________________________
CITY CLERK
MAYOR
CERTIFICATION
I HEREBY CERTIFY that the above and foregoing Resolution No. 5913 was duly passed and
adopted by the City Council of the City of Chandler, Arizona, at a regular meeting held on the
22nd day of May, 2025, and that a quorum was present thereat.
____________________________________
CITY CLERK
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
__________________________________
CITY ATTORNEY
Exhibit A:
Proposed Charter Amendment – Article II
Exhibit B:
Form of Official Ballot
Resolution 5913
Exhibit A
Page 1
EXHIBIT “A”
Article II – CITY COUNCIL
Section 2.01. – Composition, eligibility, terms and election.
(a) Composition. There shall be a City Council consisting of a mayor and six councilmen
COUNCILMEMBERS elected from the city at large by the qualified electors of the city.
The term councilman or councilmen COUNCILMEMBER shall include the mayor except
where the mayor is specifically mentioned.
(b) Eligibility. Only qualified electors of the city shall be eligible to hold the office of mayor
or councilman COUNCILMEMBER. Each candidate must have been a resident of the city
or an annexed area for at least two years immediately preceding his election.
(c) Term of Councilmembers. The term of office of councilmembers shall commence at the
first regular meeting of the City Council in January following their election and, except as
otherwise provided herein, shall be for a period of four (4) years or until their successors
are elected and qualified.
(d) Term of mayor. The term of office of mayor shall commence at the first regular meeting
of the City Council in January following the mayor’s election and shall be for a period of
four (4) years or until the mayor’s successor is elected and qualified.
(e) Limitation of terms. No person shall be eligible to be elected to the office of councilmember
for more than two (2) consecutive terms, or to the office of mayor for more than two (2)
consecutive terms or to more than a consecutive combination of same. NO PERSON
SHALL BE ELIGIBLE TO BE ELECTED TO A COMBINATION OF THE OFFICES
OF COUNCILMEMBER AND MAYOR FOR MORE THAN SIXTEEN (16)
CONSECUTIVE YEARS. A person WHO IS elected to two (2) consecutive terms as a
councilmember or two (2) consecutive terms as mayor or a combination of same as above
set forth shall not be eligible to hold THE SAME OFFICE AGAIN UNTIL FOUR (4)
YEARS HAVE ELAPSED SINCE THE END OF THE LAST TERM SERVED. A
PERSON WHO IS ELECTED AND SERVED SIXTEEN (16) CONSECUTIVE YEARS
IN A COMBINATION OF THE OFFICES OF COUNCILMEMBER AND MAYOR
SHALL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO HOLD either office again until four (4) years have
elapsed SINCE THE END OF THE LAST TERM SERVED. Councilmembers or mayor[s]
who resign shall not be eligible for re-election or appointment until the second succeeding
City election following the date of tender of their written resignation, except as provided
in subsection 2.06(c). For determining consecutive terms for an incumbent Mayor, if the
incumbent Mayor has been elected to two (2) consecutive two-year terms as of November
6, 2012, those two (2) two-year terms shall be considered the equivalent of one (1) four-
year term, for purposes of determining this section. All incumbent councilmembers and the
Mayor holding office on May 19, 1997, shall be limited to the number of terms of office
Resolution 5913
Exhibit A
Page 2
authorized on that date by this Charter, unless there is a Charter amendment approved
setting forth that incumbent councilmembers and mayor are eligible for election to
additional terms.
(f) Elections. Elections for Mayor and Councilmen COUNCILMEMBER shall be held in
each even-numbered years as provided in article VII of this Charter.
Resolution 5913
Exhibit B
Page 1
EXHIBIT "B”
CITY OF CHANDLER
SPECIAL ELECTION
NOVEMBER 4, 2025
PROPOSITION ___
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CHANDLER CITY CHARTER
BY THE CITY COUNCIL
OFFICIAL TITLE: Amending Article II, Section 2.01 of the Chandler City Charter regarding
the eligibility of a person to serve consecutive terms as councilmember and mayor.
DESCRIPTIVE TITLE: The charter amendment prohibits a person from being eligible to serve
more than sixteen consecutive years as a combination of councilmember and mayor; clarifies that
a councilmember and mayor may serve no more than two consecutive four-year terms for each
office; and eliminates a limitation on members who resign.
A “yes” vote shall have the effect of prohibiting a person from being eligible to serve more than
two consecutive four-year terms as councilmember and more than two consecutive four-year terms
as mayor, limiting eligibility to a combined total of sixteen consecutive years for a combination of
offices; removing a limitation on the eligibility of members who resign; and eliminating outdated
language.
A “no” vote shall have the effect of retaining the existing charter language.
Shall the above-described charter amendment be adopted?
YES
NO
TAGLINE TEXT
Shall Article II, Section 2.01 of the City Charter be amended to prohibit a person from serving
more than sixteen consecutive years as a combination of councilmember and mayor, clarify that a
councilmember and mayor may only serve two consecutive four-year terms for each office,
remove a limitation on the eligibility of members who resign, and eliminate outdated language?
YES
NO