Bartlesville voters turned out Tuesday to decide changes to the City Charter, passing four of the ten proposed ballot propositions and failing six.
The charter, which essentially serves as the city’s constitution, was last updated in 2010. The proposed changes were given the go-ahead to present to voters by the City Council in February after several months of public discussion.
“We are grateful to the voters who turned out to have their voices heard in this election,” said City Manager Mike Bailey. “The changes that were passed will allow us to correct some of the language in the charter that needed to be updated, and other items will simply remain unchanged. As always, we appreciate the consideration of these propositions by the voters, and for their willingness to participate in the process.”
Following are the ballot items and results of the vote:
Proposition 1
Shall Article 2, Sections 2, 5 and 6, and Article 3, Section 1, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to provide that Bartlesville City Council elections shall be held in April of each year with members serving a three year term, as opposed to the current November elections with two-year terms. The amendment would allow implementation by staggering the upcoming terms until all are consistent with the new three-year terms and would provide for a filing period on the first Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of February. Additionally, the amendments would provide for annual appointments of the Mayor and Vice-Mayor and allow vacancies to be filled at the next municipal election rather than the next general municipal election.
YES 970 votes (39.56 percent)
NO 1,482 votes (60.44 percent)
Proposition 2
Shall Article 2, Section 2, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to provide that in order to be an eligible candidate for city council, the council member shall be a qualified elector of the city and the applicable ward for six months prior to the first day of the filing period for the council election, rather than for six months prior to the election date.
YES 1,402 votes (57.70 percent)
NO 1,028 votes (42.30 percent)
Proposition 3
Shall Article 2, Section 2, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to provide that any former employee of the City shall not be eligible to serve as a council member until it has been at least 3 years since their employment with the City ended.
YES 1,167 votes (47.87 percent)
NO 1,271 (52.13 percent)
Proposition 4
Shall Article 4, Section 2 of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to modify the recall provisions of the Charter. The proposed changes would require that signatures for a recall election would be required to be obtained within one-hundred and eighty (180) days of the filing of the petition with the city clerk and would allow the city clerk thirty days to ascertain whether the petition has been prepared and circulated as required and whether the required number of qualified electors have signed the petition for recall. Additionally, Section 5 would be amended to provide that recall shall not be filed against any officer during the first or last four months of his term.
YES 1,078 votes (44.18 percent)
NO 1,362 (55.82 percent)
Proposition 5
Shall Article 16, Sections 1, 3 and 4 be amended to streamline the purchasing process of the City, allowing regulation and restrictions by City Council ordinance and allowing the City to enter certain contracts and make certain purchases in accordance with policies set by ordinance, rather than requiring Mayor signature for all contracts and purchases. Additionally, the amendment would allow more flexibility with building repairs and allow local vendors to match State of Oklahoma central purchasing. Lastly, the amendment would allow the City Manager to sign contracts if within the authority authorized by ordinance of the City Council.
YES 1,123 votes (46.27 percent)
NO 1,304 votes (53.73 percent)
Proposition 6
Shall Article 2, Section 2, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to provide that if a council member ceases to be a resident of the ward in which elected to represent, he shall cease to be a member of the council, eliminating the exception that allowed a council member to continue to hold office if that member moves from one ward to another ward within the city limits.
YES 1,519 votes (62.87 percent)
NO 897 votes (37.13 percent)
Proposition 7
Shall Article 2, Section 7, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to provide that notice of special meetings of the City Council shall be provided as required by State law.
YES 1,763 votes (72.76 percent)
NO 660 votes (27.24 percent)
Proposition 8
Shall Article 2, Section 9, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to eliminate the requirement for the readoption of meeting rules of procedure after Charter Amendments, and instead provide a process for each City Council to review and amend meeting rules and procedures, and the process for appointment, replacement or removal of board and commission members.
YES 930 votes (38.54 percent)
NO 1,483 votes (61.46 percent)
Proposition 9
Shall Article 2, Section 12, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to provide that the terms of office of a newly elected City Council shall begin at 12:01 o’clock p.m., on the first Monday of the month following each election and that they shall hold their first meeting and be inducted into office as soon thereafter as may be possible.
YES 1,581 votes (65.33 percent)
NO 839 votes (34.67 percent)
Proposition 10
Shall Article 2, Section 13, of the Charter of the City of Bartlesville be amended to eliminate adoption of a new Code of Ethics after each Charter Amendment, and instead provide that “Each City Council elected in successor years will undertake a review of the Code of Ethics to determine whether any changes are appropriate.”
YES 1,162 votes (47.86 percent)
NO 1,266 votes (52.14 percent)