City of Oak Creek

Common Council Report

Meeting Date:  08/06/07

Item No.:7      

Recommendation: 

Discussion item:   Consider action to order a Special Election for the referenda questions regarding Charter Ordinance No. 12—City Clerk and Charter Ordinance No. 13—City Treasurer.

Background:

As indicated in the prior Council agenda item, the City has received petitions demanding that Charter Ordinances No. 12 and No. 13, relating to the selection and tenure of the City Clerk and City Treasurer positions, be submitted to referenda.  On July 30^th, the petitions were declared to be sufficient. 

In accordance with Wis. Stats 9.20 (4), the referenda would be scheduled for the next Spring Election, in April, 2008 unless a Special Election is ordered.  Because the offices of City Clerk and City Treasurer would appear on the same April, 2008 ballot, it is possible that candidates would proceed through the nomination and election process, only to find that the referenda results changed the selection and tenure of the position.  Rather than have candidates and the City itself face such an uncertain outcome, the Council may choose to order a Special Election for the referenda questions.  A three-fourths vote of the Council is needed to order an election, and a Special Election ordered at the August 6^th meeting would be scheduled on Tuesday, October 9^th or Tuesday, October 16^th, to comply with statutory time limits.

Fiscal Impact: 

Costs would be approximately $6,000 for Election supplies, ballots, and pollworker salaries.  The funding would be taken from General Government Acct. 40-105 PT Salaries and Acct. 40-565 Election Supplies.

                                                                        Respectfully submitted,

Prepared by and fiscal review by:                   Patrick DeGrave

                                                                        City Administrator

Beverly A. Buretta, CMC

City Clerk/Comptroller