Discussion and possible action on any and all matters regarding Resolution No. 2309.  A resolution of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Luis, Arizona, initiating procedures for an Alternative Expenditure Limitation (also known as the Home Rule Option) by adopting a notice of public hearings, establishing a deadline for submission of pro and con statements for the November 5, 2024, General Election ballot; and declaring an emergency.  (Sonia Cornelio, City Clerk)

(6 votes in favor are required in order to pass immediately as an emergency measure per A.R.S. § 19-142)

Explanation of Alternative Expenditure Limitation (also known as Home Rule Option)
The Arizona Constitution Article IX § 20 limits the dollar amount that cities may spend of its local revenue.

However, a city can adopt an Alternative Expenditure Limitation, commonly referred to as the Home Rule Option, that is free from any ties to the State-imposed limitation (Article IX, Section 20, subsection 9, Arizona State Constitution). Home Rule is adopted if the following procedure is met:
(1) two (2) public hearings are held,
(2) the City Council considers the input from the public hearings and decides by 6 votes in favor to go forward with submitting the question to the voters,
(3) the majority of the qualified electors of the city vote in favor of the Alternative Expenditure Limitation issue, which may be at a regular city election or the Arizona general election.

If the alternative limitation is defeated by a majority of the qualified electors voting in the election, the city will be subject to the State-imposed expenditure limitation. No new Alternative Expenditure Limitation may be submitted to the voters for at least two (2) consecutive fiscal years (Article IX, Section 20, subsection 9, Arizona State Constitution).

If the Alternative Expenditure Limitation is approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting at the election, it will be in effect for the four succeeding fiscal years. In the fourth year, the voters may be asked to extend the Alternative Expenditure Limitation for four more years. This process must occur every four years to retain the Alternative Expenditure Limitation.

What Resolution No. 2309 Does

 Resolution No. 2309 does two (2) things.
(1) It approves the attached form of notice of public hearings, which are set for June 12, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. and June 19, 2024; and

(2) it sets the deadline for statements pro and con for the November 5, 2024, ballot to be submitted to the City Clerk no later than August 7, 2024.

Emergency Passage of Resolution No. 2309 

The dates of the two public hearings (which will be June 12 and 19) and the deadline for pro and con statements must be published by June 3 for two (2) consecutive weeks. To stay on track, staff will have it published on May 29 and June 5. There are not thirty (30) days between May 22 and June 3, the latest date for the first publication, so we need to pass the resolution as an emergency, so the effective date will be sooner than the thirty-day effective date of resolutions under Arizona Statutes and the City Code.