HomeMy WebLinkAboutOrdinance No. 20190
ORDINANCE NO. 20190
AN ORDINANCE CONCERNING INCLUSION OF SCHOOL
DISTRICT MEASURES IN VOTERS PAMPHLETS; AND
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AMENDING SECTIONS 2.993, 2.994, 2.996 AND 2.997 OF THE
EUGENE CODE, 1971.
THE CITY OF EUGENE DOES ORDAIN AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1.
Section 2.993 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended as follows:
2.993 Voter's Pamphlet.
(1) The following definitions apply to sections 2.993 to 2.998:
(a) Measure means both city measures and school district measures.
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(b) City measure means a proposed city ordinance or charter amendment
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or a proposition or question or advisory measure placed on the ballot by the council,
including a measure referred on the recommendation of the Eugene Water & Electric
Board (EWEB). City measure also includes municipal legislation or charter
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provisions placed on the ballot by initiative or referendum petition.
(c) School district measure means a measure placed on the ballot by the
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school district.
(d) School district means School District 4J or School District 52.
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(2) The city manager shall publish and distribute a local voter's pamphlet for each
election in which a city measure is on the ballotunless:
(a) The city measure is placed on the ballot by petition or council action
occurring less than 55 days before the election date; or
(b) The council determines that the environmental, economic and social
impacts of adoption of the city measure are not substantial enough to warrant the
expense of preparation and distribution of a voter's pamphlet.
(3) The city manager shall include in a voter's pamphlet published pursuant to
subsection (2) statements from candidates in races for city offices (council, mayor, or EWEB
member) if such statements are submitted by the candidates, together with a fee in the amount of
$100.00.
(4) In the event that no city measure is submitted for a vote at an election at which
there is a race for a city office, and neither the state nor county publish a voter's pamphlet open to
candidates for city offices who have submitted statements pursuant to subsection (3), the city
manager shall publish a voter's pamphlet which shall contain such statements.
(5) A voter's pamphlet published by the city manager pursuant to subsection (4)
shall be distributed city-wide if a candidate statement included therein is for the office of mayor or
EWEB at large member. If the only statements submitted are for city council or EWEB positions, the
voter's pamphlet shall be distributed only in the wards for which there are candidates who have
submitted statements.
(6) Any time a voters pamphlet is produced under this section, the city manager
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shall include in the voters pamphlet any school district measure and any candidate statement for a
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school board position for which timely notice and payment is received. The contents of a school
district measure shall comply with subsection 2.994(1)(a); the contents of a candidates statement
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shall comply with subsection 2.994(3).
(a) Timely notice.
1. For notice of a school district measure to be timely, the school
district must submit the text of the measure to the city recorder not less than
55 days prior to the date of the election.
2. For notice of a candidates statement to be timely, the
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candidate for a school board position must submit the statement to the city
recorder not less than 47 days prior to the date of the election.
(b) Payment.
1. Prior to the inclusion of a school district measure in the voters
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pamphlet, the school district shall agree to pay to the city the cost of the
school districts portion, as determined by the city recorder, of the printing,
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advertising, mailing, and personnel expenses associated with publishing the
voters pamphlet and distributing it within the city limits. The school district
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shall agree to pay to the city the full cost of the expenses associated with the
distribution of voters pamphlets outside the city limits.
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2. Candidates for school board positions shall pay to the city a fee
in the amount of $100 at the time they submit their statements to the city
recorder.
(c) Submission of arguments for or against school district measure.
1. Written arguments in favor of or in opposition to a school
district measure may be submitted by following the procedure described in
subsections 2.996(1) and (1)(b), except that one or more school board
members voting in favor of the measure shall be substituted for the city
councilors.
2. Additional arguments in favor of or in opposition to a school
district measure may be submitted by following the procedure described in
subsection 2.996(2), except that the required petition signatures shall be those
of school district electors.
Section 2
. Subsection (3) of Section 2.994 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended as follows:
2.994 Voter's Pamphlet - Contents.
(3) Following the information contained in subsection (1), the voter's pamphlet
shall include statements from those candidates for city offices who submit such statements and pay the
required fee. The statements shall not exceed 325 words and may include a photograph of the
candidate. Until such time as the city manager adopts rules governing the size and/or type of
candidate information, the city shall apply the criteria adopted by the state relating to candidate
information in state voter's pamphlets.
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Section 3
. Subsection (1) of Section 2.996 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended as follows:
2.996 Voter's Pamphlet - Submission of Arguments For or Against Measure and
Statements from Candidates.
(1) Not less than 47 days prior to the date of the election, the written arguments
authorized by subsection 2.994(1)(b) in favor of, and in opposition to, a measure, shall be submitted
to the city recorder. In the event that the election is by mail ballot, the arguments shall be submitted
54 days prior to the date of the election. Any rebuttals to the arguments shall be submitted 37 days
(44 days for mail ballots) prior to the date of the election. Such arguments and rebuttals shall be
prepared and submitted in the following manner:
(a) Citizen-initiated measures. The written argument in favor of the city
measure, and the rebuttal to the argument in opposition to the measure, shall be
submitted by one or more of the chief petitioners. The written argument in opposition
to the city measure, and the rebuttal to the argument in support of the measure, shall
be submitted by a three-person committee. The committee shall be chosen by the city
recorder by lot, at a time and place announced to all applicants, from among persons
who file an application for a position on the committee within a time specified by the
city recorder after appropriate notice of opportunity to apply. An applicant shall
certify under penalty of perjury that he or she is a bona fide opponent to the city
measure. If no one applies for appointment to prepare the argument in opposition, the
voters' pamphlet shall so state.
(b) City council-referred measures. The written argument in favor of the
city measure, and the rebuttal to the argument in opposition to the measure, shall be
submitted by one or more of the city councilors who voted in favor of the measure;
except that in the case of a city measure referred on the recommendation of EWEB,
one or more members of the EWEB Board voting in favor of the measure shall be
substituted for the city councilors. The written argument in opposition to the city
measure, and the rebuttal to the argument in support of the measure, shall be
submitted by a three-person committee chosen in the same manner as provided by
paragraph (1)(a) of this subsection.
(c) Citizen-referred measures. The written argument in favor of the city
measure, and the rebuttal to the argument in opposition to the measure, shall be
submitted by one or more of the city councilors who voted in favor of the ordinance
referred. The written argument in opposition to the city measure, and the rebuttal to
the argument in support of the measure, shall be submitted by one or more of the chief
petitioners of the referral petition, so long as the persons who submit the argument
and rebuttal first certify under penalty of perjury that they are bona fide opponents of
the ordinance. If the chief petitioners are not bona fide opponents (e.g., if they merely
favor the opportunity to vote on the issue), the argument in opposition to the city
measure, and the rebuttal to the argument in support of the measure, shall be
submitted by a three-person committee chosen in the same manner as provided by
paragraph (1)(a) of this section.
If one or more members of the committees preparing the arguments or rebuttals cannot agree on a
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consensus statement, he or she may write his or her own statement not exceeding one-third of the
total number of words allocated to the argument or rebuttal. The length of the consensus argument,
if any, shall be reduced by the same amount.
Section 4
. Section 2.997 of the Eugene Code, 1971, is amended as follows:
2.997 Voter's Pamphlet - Distribution. No later than the 14th day before the election at
which a measure is to be voted upon, the city manager shall mail a voter's pamphlet to each
residence within the appropriate geographical area(s). The appropriate geographical area means the
following:
(a) For voters pamphlets containing city measures or statements from
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candidates for city wide offices, the city limits of Eugene;
(b) For voters pamphlets containing school district measures or
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candidates for school board positions, the boundaries of the school district; and
(c) For voters pamphlets containing only statements from candidates for
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city council or EWEB positions, the wards which those candidates would represent if
elected.
Voter's pamphlets shall be made available for public distribution at city hall, the city library, and at
other municipal facilities within the city.
Section 5.
The City Recorder, at the request of, or with the concurrence of the City
Attorney, is authorized to administratively correct any reference errors contained herein or in other
provisions of the Eugene Code, 1971, to the provisions added, amended or repealed herein.
Passed by the City Council this Approved by the Mayor this
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28 day of February, 2000 28 day of February, 2000
/s/ Warren G. Wong /s/ James D. Torrey
City Recorder Mayor
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