Regular 8.b.
Regular City Council Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 06/22/2020
- TITLE
- Resolution Approving Ballot Language for City Charter Public Safety Mill Levy Amendment
- PRESENTED BY:
- Brent Brooks
- Department:
- Legal
RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Council approve the attached Resolution containing the ballot language for a special mail ballot election on September 15, 2020, which submits to voters a decision to approve or disapprove a City Charter amendment repealing an existing public safety mill levy and replacing it with a new public safety mill levy.
BACKGROUND (Consistency with Adopted Plans and Policies, if applicable)
By State statute, an amendment to a Charter form of local government may only be made by submitting the question of amendment to voters. Section 7-3-103(1), Montana Code Annotated (MCA). When the local governing body is proposing a Charter amendment, it must pass an Ordinance which describes how the Charter will be amended. Section 7-3-103(2)(b), MCA. The Council has now approved such an Ordinance on First and Second Readings and the Ordinance becomes effective thirty days after Second Reading.
Related to the Ordinance proposing a Charter amendment, is a companion Resolution which contains the actual ballot language to be placed on a ballot prepared by the Yellowstone County Election Administrator. The most important functions of the Ballot Language Resolution is to refer the Charter amendment question to the County Elections Administrator and clearly and succinctly explain the nature of the proposed Charter amendment and the financial impact on voters.
The Council has directed staff to provide ballot language that describes how the existing public safety mill levy in Section 1.05.1 approved by the voters in 2004 will be repealed and replaced by the new, proposed 2020 public safety mill levy. Under the direction of Mayor Cole, Council Members Neese and Choriki and City Administrator Kukulski, an informal administrator committee has recently met several times to review and refine the ballot language in this Resolution.The attached Resolution is the draft completed and recommended by this committee.
The ballot language explains that if approved, the proposed 2020 public safety mill levy will replace the existing 2004 public safety mill levy and provide 60 mills per year for public safety funding. The proposed new mill levy will be permanent and assess 60 mills each year generating approximately $12,240,000 in the first year. The proposed Resolution also explains that the existing 2004 public safety mill levy will remain in effect if the proposed new levy in 2020 is disapproved by voters.
Related to the Ordinance proposing a Charter amendment, is a companion Resolution which contains the actual ballot language to be placed on a ballot prepared by the Yellowstone County Election Administrator. The most important functions of the Ballot Language Resolution is to refer the Charter amendment question to the County Elections Administrator and clearly and succinctly explain the nature of the proposed Charter amendment and the financial impact on voters.
The Council has directed staff to provide ballot language that describes how the existing public safety mill levy in Section 1.05.1 approved by the voters in 2004 will be repealed and replaced by the new, proposed 2020 public safety mill levy. Under the direction of Mayor Cole, Council Members Neese and Choriki and City Administrator Kukulski, an informal administrator committee has recently met several times to review and refine the ballot language in this Resolution.The attached Resolution is the draft completed and recommended by this committee.
The ballot language explains that if approved, the proposed 2020 public safety mill levy will replace the existing 2004 public safety mill levy and provide 60 mills per year for public safety funding. The proposed new mill levy will be permanent and assess 60 mills each year generating approximately $12,240,000 in the first year. The proposed Resolution also explains that the existing 2004 public safety mill levy will remain in effect if the proposed new levy in 2020 is disapproved by voters.
ALTERNATIVES
City Council may:
- Approve the Resolution providing for the ballot language to be submitted to the voters on a Special Mail Ballot election on September 15, 2020, or;
- Modify the ballot language further, or,
- Disapprove the Resolution
FISCAL EFFECTS
If the Council approves the attached ballot language Resolution and voters approve the proposed City Charter amendment, it is estimated that an additional $4,000,000 will be generated to help police, fire and related services.