EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first in a series of five blog posts that will examine the City of College Station’s nine proposed charter amendments that appear on the November election ballot. The charter is the city’s governing document.
Two of the nine proposed amendments (Nos. 1 and 3) to College Station’s City Charter concern the Initiative, Referendum and Recall section. Click on the proposition name to see the actual changes that would be made to the charter language if voters approve the propositions.
Proposition No. 1
FOR/AGAINST: Shall Article X (Initiative, Referendum, Recall), Sections 94 (Recall; General), 95 (Recall Procedure), 96 (Recall Petitions), and 97 (Recall Election) of the College Station City Charter be amended to require grounds for removal of Council Members by recall; provide that such grounds be included in the recall affidavit and in the recall petitions; allow the City Secretary a reasonable time to deliver the recall petition blanks; clarify the City Secretary’s role in examining the recall petitions; and amend the number of days allowed for an officer whose removal is sought to resign?
What does it mean?
- Amendment No. 1 would establish incompetency, official misconduct or malfeasance in office as grounds for recall.The current charter does not specify grounds for the removal from office of a city council member by recall.
- The amendment would give the city secretary 15 days to validate a petition and allows her to submit the petition at the next regularly scheduled council meeting. The current charter does not provide a specific time period for examining a petition and requires the secretary to submit it to the council within five days after it’s validated.
- The amendment would give a council member whose removal is sought seven days to resign before a recall election is called. The current charter provides for only five days.
Proposition No. 3
FOR/AGAINST: Shall Article X (Initiative, Referendum, Recall), Section 83 (Power of Initiative) and Section 84 (Power of Referendum) be amended to clarify exceptions to the power of initiative and exceptions to the power of referendum, to extend the number of days in which an ordinance is subject to referendum from twenty (20) days to thirty (30) days, to extend the number of days allowed the City Secretary to examine the petitions from ten (10) days to fifteen (15) days, and to provide that the number of days specified to examine the petitions are business days?
What does it mean?
- Amendment No. 3 would add land use ordinances to the list of exceptions to the citizens’ power of initiative.
- The amendment would extend the number of days in which an ordinance is subject to referendum from 20 to 30 days.
- The city secretary would have 15 business days to validate an initiative or referendum petition. The current charter requires 10 days.
Scroll to the bottom of the ballot!
When you vote Nov. 6, be sure to scroll to the bottom of the ballot to vote in your local elections. A straight party vote will not select local choices that directly affect your community.
For more information on these or the other proposed charter amendments, go to cstx.gov/elections or brazosvotes.org, where you’ll also find information about polling places, early voting and absentee ballots.
Related Links:
- City Blog: A closer look at the proposed city charter amendments (City Blog, Oct. 22, 2012)
- Conflict of interest policy among 9 charter amendments on ballot (The Eagle, Oct. 22, 2012)
- Proposed CS Charter Change Defining Council Conflict of Interest (WTAW, July 30, 2012)
- What CS Voters Will Consider to Change Charter Gets Council Approval (July 27, 2012)
- Changes to College Station Charter (YouTube, July 24, 2012)
- College Station City Charter
- Charter Review Advisory Committee