La Grande to discuss city charter and primary election amendments
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, April 15th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – The city of La Grande has scheduled a work session for the evening of April 15, 2024, to discuss proposed amendments to the city’s charter. The proposed changes specifically pertain to the removal of the number designation for city council positions, elimination of the biennial primary for city elections, and revising the way in which vacant city council positions are filled mid-term. The last official amendment to the La Grande City charter was adopted on November 3, 1998. A full summary of the proposed changes, as drafted by the city in the agenda for the upcoming work session, is as follows:
“City Staff, the County Clerk, and the City Attorney have reviewed the current City Charter and made recommended changes to language in the following chapters of the City Charter, per previous conversations held with the City Council. Included with this memo is a draft City Charter showing all revisions as explained below:
• Chapter III – Form of Government: Revised language to eliminate the position numbers for each of the seven positions.
The current system of candidates filing for individual positions, which are not tied to geographic areas in the City and are non-partisan, creates a potential for a candidate running for one position to be elected with fewer votes than a second candidate who was running opposed for another position. The intent is rather than candidates running for a specific position, all candidates would simply be running for City Council and the three candidates with the most votes are elected to the three vacant positions. Only the Mayor would be a separately elected position and would remain a two-year term.
• Chapter VI – Elections: Eliminated the Biennial Primary Election and updated language to hold only a Biennial General Election for all vacated seats and added explanation to how the top vote getters would be elected. Updated language for how an incumbent’s, mid-term resignation would be filled by appointment for the remainder of the term instead of placing the vacated seat on the General Election ballot, which would align with the language that was revised in Chapter VII –Vacancies in Office.
Candidates for the Mayor position and the non-Mayor positions would only be on the General Election ballot, eliminating the need for a Primary Election. Clear language reflects how all positions would be elected by the outcome of the majority of the votes counted.
• Chapter VII – Vacancies in Office: Eliminated language on how a vacancy would be filled by election when there is two or more years remaining. Revised language to fill all vacated seats by appointment by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Council regardless of how much time was remaining in that term. Language was also revised to reflect how a position would be filled in the case of a temporary disability or absence of any officer.
The intent for the section updates is to eliminate confusion on the ballot for the voters and to streamline the process to fulfill the remainder of a vacated term for an easier transition.”
Note that the meeting to discuss these changes is a work session and will not involve an actual vote. The work session can be viewed live at www.facebook.com/CityofLaGrande. Following the work session, the council will vote on a resolution to “place a question on the ballot for the voters to decide if the City Charter should be amended with the proposed revisions.” The council will vote on this resolution during the city council regular session on June 5.
