Agenda - View Meetings (All)

ITEM #: 10.
DATE: 12/09/2024
AI #:2262

CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT

SUBJECT:

ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO ESTABLISH THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR MAYORAL AND COUNCIL CANDIDATE NOMINATION PETITIONS

STAFF PRESENTER(S):

Darcie McCracken, City Clerk

OTHER PRESENTER(S):

Roric Massey, City Attorney

SUMMARY

In accordance with Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS), the city of Goodyear currently uses the standard 5% of the vote totals for Mayoral elections to establish the required number of signatures needed for signature petitions for both Mayoral and Council races. When city elections were moved to the Fall of even-numbered years, there has been an increase in the vote total for the Mayoral election resulting an increase in the signature petition requirement. This trend is expected to continue to increase after each Mayoral election. Adopting this ordinance will provide for an alternative calculation for signature petitions as allowed by ARS, and will establish 1,000 as the minimum number of signatures, or 5% of the vote for Mayor, whichever is less.

STRATEGIC PLAN ALIGNMENT

RECOMMENDATION

ADOPT ORDINANCE NO. 2024-1618, AMENDING THE GOODYEAR CITY CODE TO ADD SECTION 2-3-6, ESTABLISHING THE NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED FOR GOODYEAR MAYORAL AND COUNCIL CANDIDATE NOMINATION PETITIONS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE. (Darcie McCracken, City Clerk)

FISCAL IMPACT

There is no fiscal impact with the passage of this ordinance.

BACKGROUND AND PREVIOUS ACTIONS

At the Work Session held on September 16, 2024, several Councilmembers expressed concern with the growing number of signatures needed on candidate petitions and asked staff to research if there was an alternative calculation option. Staff responded that Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) has a provision that would allow the City to establish 1,000 as the minimum number of signatures. Staff were asked to return with a provision for Council action.

Currently, the city adheres to ARS for signature requirements, which states not less than 5%, nor more than 10%, of the number of votes for Mayor in the previous election for Mayor. A.R.S. § 16-322(A)(8) allows for cities and towns who hold non-partisan elections to establish a minimum number of 1,000 signatures for candidate petitions, or five percent of the vote in the city, whichever is less, but not more than ten percent of the vote in the city.

STAFF ANALYSIS

For 2019 and prior years, Goodyear Mayoral and Council elections were in the spring of odd-numbered years. However, with continued changes to the state law by the Arizona legislature that focused on requiring cities and towns to hold elections in the fall of even-numbered years, the Goodyear Council opted to have voters determine if elections would move to the fall cycle. In the March 2019 election, a proposition to make the change in the charter to conduct elections in the fall of even-numbered years was passed by the voters.

The first election in the fall of even-numbered years was in 2022 and there was an increase in the number of votes for the Mayoral race. This then increased the required number of signatures for both Mayoral and Council candidates.

It is anticipated that establishing the number of required signatures needed for signature petitions for Mayoral and Council candidates will foster participation from those who would like to serve on Council, and would also establish consistency, since signature requirements would not exceed 1,000 signatures.

If Ordinance 2024-1618 (Attachment A) is adopted, it adds section 2-3-6 to the Elections section of the Goodyear City Code. Additionally, if adopted, the earliest election it would impact would be the 2028 election as the signature requirements would be based on the votes in the next Mayoral election in 2026.

Attachments

Attachment A - Ordinance No. 2024-1618

Staff Presentation