City Charter Amendment Articles 7-10 Review Presentation

Ryan Peters
Deputy City Manager
City Charter Amendment 
Resident Advisory Committee 
September 11 , 2025

Agenda
Article Review:
•
Article VII. Nominations and Elections
•
Article VIII. Initiative, Referendum and Recall
•
Article IX. General Provisions
•
Article X. Succession in Government
Review and Discussion of Proposed Updates to Articles VII-X
Review of Draft Revision Language for Articles I&II
Public Comment

Article VII. Nominations and Elections
7.01 City Elections
•
Permits primary, regular and special elections to be held concurrently on 
consolidated election dates or with any other authorized election
•
Applies state election laws to municipal elections held pursuant to the 
Charter, unless otherwise provided by the Charter
•
Asserts that a candidate who receives a majority vote at a primary election is 
rendered elected to the office sought
•
Prohibits the indication of candidacy support or candidate affiliation with any 
person, party, or group from appearing on the ballot 
7.02 Watchers and Challengers
•
Entitles nominated candidates to appoint 1 person to represent them as 
watcher and challenger at each polling place
•
Specifies than an appointed watcher and challenger has all the rights and 
privileges prescribed for watchers and challengers under state law

Article VII. Nominations and Elections
7.03 Ballots for Ordinances and Charter Amendments
•
Necessitates that ordinances and charter amendments requiring a vote of the 
electors be presented for voting by ballot title 
•
Allows ballot titles to be different than a measure’s legal title
•
Requires that ballot titles be a clear and concise statement that describes the 
measure without prejudice
•
Standardizes the format for questions appearing on the ballot 
7.04 Availability of List of Qualified Electors
•
Requires the city to allow the list of city electors to be copied, if requested by 
an entity for a purpose relating to a city election, candidate, or ballot measure

Article VIII. Initiative, Referendum, and Recall
8.01 General Authority
•
Reserves the power of initiative, referendum, and recall for the city's electors
•
Applies constitutional and state law provisions governing the initiative, 
referendum, and recall processes to city processes, unless they conflict with the 
charter
8.02 Commencement of Proceedings, Petitioners’ Committee, Affidavit
•
Permits any 5 qualified electors to commence initiative or referendum 
proceedings upon filing an affidavit with the Clerk that establishes a petitioners’ 
committee, assumes responsibility for circulation and filing of the petition, and 
that includes other prescribed information. 
•
Directs the Clerk to issue petition blanks after the filing of an affidavit

Article IX. General Provisions
9.01 Personal Financial Interest
• Requires any city officer, employee, board, or commission member who has a 
financial interest in city sales or contracts to disclose such interest and restricts them 
from voting or participating in such sales or contracts
• Renders willful violations of financial interest disclosure requirements as malfeasance 
in office
• Authorizes Council to void contracts made in violation of financial interest disclosure 
requirements
9.02 Prohibitions and Penalties
• Prohibits the appointment, removal, favor, or discrimination of individuals in any city 
position due to race, sex, political or religious affiliations
• Prohibits city employees and officials from giving any money or other thing of value 
in connection with an appointment or promotion
• Restricts city employees and elected officials from soliciting any contribution for a 
political party or political purpose from certain city appointees
• Prohibits individuals in compensated appointive city positions from making, soliciting 
or receiving any campaign contributions for a candidate for municipal office

Article IX. General Provisions
9.03 Residency Requirements
•
Requires that the city manager and all department heads be residents of the city 
within 6 months of appointment*
•
Stipulates that all city employes reside within a reasonable radius of the city
*Proposed update: Residency requirement for city manager or city council 
appointed positions only

Scottsdale
•
Officers of the City: city 
manager, city treasurer, 
city clerk, city attorney and 
city auditor must become 
residents of the city within 
6 months
Tempe
•
City manager must 
become a resident of the 
city within 6 months
Mesa
•
City manager must  
become a resident of the 
city within 60 days
Requirements of other Valley Charter Cities
Glendale
•
City manager must reside 
within the city during 
his/her tenure

Potential Update
•
Eliminate requirement that 
department directors to reside 
in the city
•
Maintain the requirement that 
city manager or offices 
appointed by the council 
become residents of the city 
within 6 months

Current Challenges
•
Reduces candidate pool
•
Competition with other employers
•
Housing market and interest rates
•
Family considerations:
•
Children in school
•
Two working parents
Potential Advantages
•
Improves ability to recruit or promote department
         directors
•
Transportation options improved
•
Competitive with other Valley cities 
•
Maintains connection to community

Article X. Succession in Government
10.01 Rights of Officers and Employees Reserved
•
Preserves specified rights of city officers and employees
10.02 Continuance of Present Officers
• Retains the Mayor, Council and appointive officers serving at the time the charter 
becomes effective
10.03 Continuance of Present Offices, Departments and Agencies
• Provides for the continuation of city office, departments and agencies established prior to 
the charter’s effective date
10.04 Continuance of Appointed Boards and Commissions
• Continues boards and commissions existing prior to the charter’s effective date
10.05 Transfer of Records and Property
• Transfers city records, property, and equipment existing prior to the charter’s effective 
date to the office, department, or agency assuming its powers and duties

Article X. Succession in Government
10.06  Pending Matters
•
Continues contracts entered into prior to the effective date of the charter
• Specifies that adoption of the charter does not abate or affect any pending actions 
or proceedings 
• Maintains all ordinances, resolutions, and regulations in effect at the time the 
charter is adopted
10.07  Conformity of Charter With State Law
• Asserts that the charter is cumulative of all other laws of the state governing cities 
and that the charter does not restrict the city from taking actions that are not 
otherwise prohibited by the constitution and state law
10.08 Inauguration of Government Under This Charter
• States that the Charter goes into effect upon a majority vote of the city’s electors 
and the Governor's approval

Article X. Succession in Government
10.09 Charter Amendments
• Allows for the charter to be amended as provided by the state constitution 
• Specifies that the charter amendments can be initiated through various 
means
•
Requires that proposed amendments be submitted to the voters at a 
primary, a general or special election
•
Requires, if approved by a majority of voters, that proposed charter 
amendments be submitted to the Governor for approval.
10.10  Separability
• States that charter provisions that are found to be invalid do not affect 
other charter provisions
10.11 Gender
• Outlines applicability of gender-specific terminology

Committee Review and Recommendation Process
Committee Reviewed Charter
&
Identified Opportunities to Revise
Committee Consensus on 
Proposed Charter Revisions 
Committee Directed Staff to Prepare 
Draft Charter Amendment Language 
for Consideration by Committee
Committee Makes Recommendations 
to Council on Proposed Charter 
Amendments

Article I: Draft Revision Language
•
Makes clarifying changes to 
provisions regarding city 
contracting authority

Article II: Draft Revision Language
• Modifies the effective date for ordinances 
establishing Council salary increases
• Salary increase becomes effective following 
the next election
• Increases, from 30 to 45, the number of days Council 
is allotted to fill a vacancy
• Requires that an election to fill a vacancy be held as 
soon as practicable, rather than within 120 days of 
the vacancy
• Modifies resign-to-run provisions to require 
resignation when nomination papers are filed, rather 
than taken out
• Eliminates 105-day primary election trigger 
for resignation
• Makes technical, clarifying, and conforming changes 
throughout Article II

•
Set Next Meeting Date
•
Charter Revision Proposals by 
Individual Committee Members

Questions?
Thank you!