Proposed City of Santa Cruz

SECTION 601. COUNCIL, NUMBER, TERM. The elective officers of the City shall be seven (7) Councilmembers who shall constitute the Council. They shall be elected from one of seven (7) districts drawn on the basis of one-person one-vote from the most recent decennial United States census. Only registered voters residing within the district shall be qualified to vote for a candidate seeking to represent that district. Councilmembers shall be elected for a term of four years and until their successors have been elected and qualified. The Council shall be the legislative body of this City, each of the members of which, including the Mayor, shall have the right to vote upon all questions before it. No member of the Council shall be eligible for re-election for two years after the expiration of the second consecutive full term for which such person was elected.

SECTION 602. QUALIFICATIONS. A person shall be eligible to be nominated for, or to hold the office of Councilmember, only if thirty (30) days preceding the opening date for the filing of nomination papers, such person is a resident and registered qualified voter of this City and the district of the City or of territory annexed thereto which the person seeks to represent. A member of the Council shall forfeit such office upon ceasing to reside in the district or to remain a registered qualified voter.

SECTION 605. COUNCIL VACANCIES. A vacancy in the City Council from whatever cause arising, shall be filled by appointment of a qualified resident of the subject district by the City Council, or by special election for that district seat called by the Council.

If a vacancy is filled by appointment, the appointee shall hold office until a successor is elected and takes the oath of office. At the next general municipal election following any vacancy, a Councilmember shall be elected to serve for the remainder of any unexpired term. If a vacancy is filled by special election, the person receiving the majority of votes cast in that special election, or subsequent runoff election, if necessary shall, upon taking the oath of office, serve for the remainder of the unexpired term of the former incumbent and until a successor has been elected and takes the oath of office.

In the event a vacancy has not been filled by appointment or an election called within 60 days after such office shall have been declared vacant, the Council shall forthwith call an election to fill such vacancy.

A City Council office shall become vacant and shall be so declared by the council if a person elected or appointed to the Council fails to take the oath of office with 60 days after the election or appointment, is absent from all regular meetings of the Council for 60 days unless expressly permitted by the City Council in its official minutes, ceases to be an elector of the City and the district from which elected or appointed

SECTION 701. GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. General municipal elections for the filling of elective offices and for such other purposes as the Council may prescribe, shall be held in the City of Santa Cruz on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in each even numbered year.

The Councilmembers shall be elected at the general municipal election by districts. The Councilmembers shall be recalled by districts.

Commencing with the general municipal election in November, 2000, each Councilmember shall be elected by the electors within a Council district, must have resided in the district in which he or she is elected for a period of not less than thirty days preceding the opening date for the filing of nomination papers for the office of Councilmember, must continue to reside therein during his or her incumbency, and shall be removed from office upon ceasing to be such resident.

The Councilmembers of the City shall be elected by a majority of the electors voting for each such officer. In the event no candidate for Councilmember for one or more Council districts receives a majority of the votes of the electors voting therefor, then there shall be a run-off election between the two candidates receiving the most votes, which run-off election shall be held no later than four weeks after the certification of the initial election. No other issues shall appear on the ballot of any run-off election. Councilmembers elected in the November 2000 election shall be elected from Districts 1 through 4. Councilmembers elected in the November 2002 election shall be elected from Districts 5-7.

The Council shall, by ordinance, adjust if necessary, the boundaries of the Council districts herein set forth the year following the year in which each decennial federal census is certified, commencing with the 2000 census, as provided and required in the Constitution and statutes of the State of California and in order that the seven council districts shall continue to be as nearly equal in population as may be according to said census. Any such redistricting shall preserve, to the extent possible, the Council districts established herein and shall become effective as of the next general election of Councilmembers immediately following the effective date of said ordinance.

The City is hereby divided into seven Council districts as hereinafter set forth, and, commencing with the general municipal election in November 2000, districts hereinafter set forth shall be used for the election and recall of Councilmembers. If and when new districts are established, as herein provided, such new districts shall be used for the aforesaid purposes: however, that no change in the boundaries or location of any district by redistricting as herein provided shall operate to abolish or terminate the term of office of any Councilmember for which such Councilmember was elected or appointed.

Should any provision of the amendment of this section be held invalid, the remainder of the amendment shall not be affected thereby.

The seven Council districts, as established herein, shall be bounded and described as follows:

FIRST COUNCIL DISTRICT shall comprise all of that portion of the City of Santa Cruz commencing on the point of intersection of State Highway One (1) and Graham Hill Road; thence northerly along a centerline of Graham Hill Road to a point of intersection with the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz; thence easterly along the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz to the intersection of Soquel Avenue; thence westerly along a centerline of Soquel Avenue to a point of intersection of Morrissey Avenue and Water Street; thence westerly along a centerline of Water Street to a point of intersection of Market Street; thence northerly along a centerline of Market Street to a point of intersection of Grant Street; thence westerly along a centerline of Grant Street to a point of intersection of Emeline Avenue; thence northerly along a centerline of Emeline Avenue to a point of intersection of State Highway One (1); thence westerly along a centerline of State Highway One (1) to the point of beginning.

SECOND COUNCIL DISTRICT shall comprise all of that portion of the City of Santa Cruz commencing on the point at the intersection of State Highway One (1) and the San Lorenzo River; thence southerly along the centerline of the San Lorenzo River to the point of intersection of Soquel Avenue; thence easterly along the centerline of Soquel Avenue to the point of intersection of South Branciforte Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of South Branciforte Avenue to the point of intersection of Broadway; thence easterly on the centerline of Broadway to the point of intersection of Seabright Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Seabright Avenue to the point of intersection of Watson Street; thence easterly along the centerline of Watson Street to the point of intersection of Bronson Street; thence northerly along the centerline of Bronson Street to the point of intersection of Hall Street; easterly along the centerline of Hall Street to the point of intersection of Owen Street; thence southerly along the centerline of Owen Street to the point of intersection with the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks; then easterly along the centerline of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks to the easterly boundary of the City of Santa Cruz; thence northerly along the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz to the point of intersection f Soquel Avenue; thence westerly along the centerline of Soquel Avenue to the point of intersection of South Morrissey Avenue and Water Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Water Street to the point of intersection of Market Street; thence northerly along the centerline of Market Street to the point of intersection of Grant Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Grant Street to the point of intersection of Emeline Avenue; thence northerly along the centerline of Emeline Avenue to the point of intersection of State Highway One (1); thence westerly along the centerline of State Highway One (1) to the point of beginning.

THIRD COUNCIL DISTRICT shall comprise all of that portion of the City of Santa Cruz commencing on the point at the intersection of Soquel Avenue and the San Lorenzo River; thence southerly along the centerline of the San Lorenzo River to the point of intersection of Riverside Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Riverside Avenue to the point of intersection of Third Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Third Street to the point of intersection of Leibrandt Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Leibrandt Avenue to the point of intersection of Wave Lane; thence westerly along the centerline of Wave Lane to the point of intersection of Cliff Street; thence southerly along the centerline of Cliff Street and the extenuation thereof to the Pacific Ocean; thence easterly along the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the easterly boundary of the City of Santa Cruz; thence northerly along the city boundary to the point of intersection with the centerline of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks; thence westerly along the centerline of the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks to the centerline intersection of Owen Street; thence northerly along the centerline of Owen Street to the point of intersection of Hall Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Hall Street to the point of intersection of Bronson Street; thence southerly along the centerline of Bronson Street to the point of intersection of Watson Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Watson Street to the point of intersection of Seabright Avenue; thence northerly along the centerline of Seabright Avenue to the point of intersection of Broadway; thence westerly along the centerline of Broadway to the point of intersection of South Branciforte Avenue; thence northerly along the centerline of South Branciforte Avenue to the point of intersection of Soquel Avenue; thence westerly along the centerline of Soquel Avenue to the point of beginning.

FOURTH COUNCIL DISTRICT shall comprise all of that portion of the City of Santa Cruz commencing on the point at the intersection of State Highway One (1) and the San Lorenzo River; thence southerly along the centerline of the San Lorenzo River to the point of intersection of Riverside Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Riverside Avenue to the point of intersection of Third Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Third Street to the point of intersection of Leibrandt Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Leibrandt Avenue to the point of intersection of Wave Lane; thence westerly along the centerline of Wave Lane to the point of intersection of Cliff Street; thence southerly along the centerline of Cliff Street and the extension thereof to the Pacific Ocean; thence westerly along the shore of the Pacific Ocean to the centerline of the extension of Gharkey Street; thence westerly along the extension of the centerline of Gharkey Street to the point of intersection of West Cliff Drive; thence northerly along the centerline of West Cliff Drive to the point of intersection of Cowell Street; thence northerly along the centerline of Cowell Street to the point of intersection of Lighthouse Avenue; thence northerly along the centerline of Lighthouse Avenue to the point of intersection of Bay Street; thence westerly along the centerline of Bay Street to the point of intersect of California Avenue; thence westerly along the centerline of California Avenue to the point of intersection of Errett Circle; thence southerly along the centerline of Errett Circle past the intersection of Graham Avenue to the point of intersection of Woodrow Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Woodrow Avenue to the point of intersection of Wilkes Circle; thence westerly along the centerline of Wilkes Circle to the point of intersection of Pendergast Avenue; thence westerly along the centerline of Pendergast Avenue to the point of intersection of Surfside Avenue; thence southerly along the centerline of Surfside Avenue to the point of intersection of Pendergast Avenue; thence westerly along the centerline of Pendergast Avenue to the point of intersection of Almar Avenue; thence northerly along the centerline of Almar Avenue to the point of intersection of State Highway One (1); thence northerly along the centerline of State Highway One (1) to the point of beginning.

FIFTH COUNCIL DISTRICT shall comprise all of that portion of the City of Santa Cruz commencing on the point of intersection of the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz and Graham Hill Road; thence southerly following the City boundary along the centerline of Graham Hill Road, thence along the centerline of Graham Hill Road to a point of intersection of State Highway One (1); thence westerly along the centerline of State Highway One (1) to a point of intersection of Laurel Street, thence northerly along a centerline of Laurel Street to a point of intersection of Escalona Drive, thence southerly along a centerline of Escalona Drive to a point of intersection of Laurent Street, thence northerly along a centerline of Laurent Street to a point of intersection of Spring Street; thence westerly along a centerline of Spring Street to a point of intersection of High Street; thence westerly along a centerline of High Street to a point of intersection of Glen Coolidge Drive, thence westerly along a centerline of Empire Grade to a point of intersection of the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz, thence northerly along the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz to the point of beginning.

SIXTH COUNCIL DISTRICT shall comprise all of that portion of the City of Santa Cruz commencing on the point of intersection of State Highway One (1) and Laurel Street, thence northerly along a centerline of Laurel Street to a point of intersection of Escalona Drive, thence southerly along a centerline of Escalona Drive to a point of intersection of Laurent Street, thence northerly along a centerline of Laurent Street to a point of intersection of Spring Street; thence westerly along a centerline of Spring Street to a point of intersection of High Street, thence westerly along a centerline of High Street to a point of intersection of Glen Coolidge Drive; thence westerly along a centerline of Empire Grade to a point of intersection of the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz; thence southerly along the boundary of the City of Santa Cruz to a point of intersection of State Highway One (1); thence easterly along a centerline of State Highway One (1) to the point of beginning.