HomeMy WebLinkAboutRes 2024-013RESOLUTION NO. 2024-013
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM
DESERT, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR THE
APPOINTMENT OF THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM AND
RESCINDING RESOLUTION NO. 2021-61
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Palm Desert, California, adopted
Resolution No. 76-39, amended by Resolution Nos. 80-44, 82-22, and 84-41, establishing
a one-year term and setting forth a rotating appointment process for the positions of
Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, and
WHEREAS, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 01-110, amended by
Resolution Nos. 2013-14, 2015-91, and 2021-61, formalizing the practice of appointing
the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem on a seniority rotating basis, and
WHEREAS, the City Council must appoint from its own membership two Members
to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, and
WHEREAS, it has been the desire of each City Council serving the City of Palm
Desert since incorporation to make these positions honorary in nature, held for a one -
year term, and
WHEREAS, it is the City Council’s opinion that each Member elected to the City
Council is equally qualified and deserving to hold these offices, and each Member should
be given ample opportunity to serve in one or both of these offices; and
WHEREAS, Resolution No. 2021-61 includes provisions addressing situations in
which two or more Members in the same district are sworn into office on the same day as
well as when two or more Members are sworn into office on the same day from different
districts. These provisions no longer apply to a five -district electoral system as enacted
by Ordinance No. 1406; therefore, it is necessary to update the procedures; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of this Resolution is to update the seniority-based rotation
for the appointment of Members to the honorary positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PALM DESERT,
CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. TERM OF APPOINTMENT. The appointment of Mayor and Mayor
Pro Tem shall be made on an annual basis at the first regular City Council meeting in
December of each year. No Member shall serve a term in either office to exceed a one -
year period, except as follows:
A. If a Member serving as Mayor served a partial term of six months or less, that
Member shall continue to serve as Mayor for an additional year.
B. If a Member serving as Mayor Pro Tem served a partial term, that Member shall
continue to serve unless there is an outgoing Mayor, in which case the Member
shall be appointed to serve as Mayor.
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SECTION 2. ELIGIBILITY. Prior to any Member being appointed as Mayor, the
Member shall have served on the City Council for approximately two years, and the Mayor
Pro Tem shall have served on the City Council for approximately one year prior to being
appointed to those respective offices; or in the absence of this occurrence, a Member
having served at least one term on the Palm Desert Planning Commission will be
sufficient eligibility for appointment to the office.
SECTION 3. ROTATION PRIORITY. In appointing the Mayor Pro Tem, priority
shall be given to the Member with the longest continuous service since last serving as
Mayor, if ever. In appointing the Mayor, priority shall be given to the immediately
preceding Mayor Pro Tem; if the immediately preceding Mayor P ro Tem is unwilling or
unable to serve as Mayor, priority shall be given to the Member who would otherwise
have priority to be appointed Mayor Pro Tem.
SECTION 4. TIEBREAKER. When two or more Members are tied, the order of
service in the Mayoral Rotation shall be established by a method of chance, with the
winner being inserted first into the Mayoral Rotation.
A. When two Members are tied, the tiebreaker shall be resolved by coin toss. The
Member who will call the coin toss shall be determined by alphabetical order of
their last names as they appeared on the most recent ballot from which they
were elected. The alphabetical order shall be randomized based on the
Secretary of State’s most recent randomized alphabet available.
B. When three Members are tied, the tiebreaker shall be resolved by drawing
straws. The order of selecting a straw will be determined by alphabetical order
of their last names as they appeared on the most recent ballot from which they
were elected. The alphabetical order shall be randomized based on the
Secretary of State’s most recent randomized alphabet available.
SECTION 5. DECLINING TO SERVE: If a Member declines service as Mayor or
Mayor Pro Tem, then that Member’s future placement in the rotation will be as if they
served in the year for which service is waived.
SECTION 6. NO OPTION. If these procedures for the appointment of Mayor and
Mayor Pro Tem result in no Councilmember being eligible to fill either position, then the
City Council may vote to appoint anyone of its Members to serve.
SECTION 7. REMOVAL. The City Council by four-fifths (4/5ths) vote may remove
the Mayor and/or Mayor Pro Tem.
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SECTION 8. Resolution No. 2021-61 is hereby rescinded in its entirety.
SECTION 9. The City Clerk of the City of Palm Desert shall certify the passage
and adoption of this resolution and its approval by the City Council and shall cause the
same to be listed in the records of the City.
ADOPTED ON APRIL 11, 2024.
KARINA QUINTANILLA
MAYOR
ATTEST:
ANTHONY J. MEJIA
CITY CLERK
I, Anthony J. Mejia, City Clerk of the City of Palm Desert, hereby certify that
Resolution No. 2024-013 is a full, true, and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a
regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Palm Desert on April 11, 2024, by the
following vote:
AYES: HARNIK, KELLY, NESTANDE, TRUBEE, AND QUINTANILLA
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
RECUSED: NONE
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the
City of Palm Desert, California, on ________________.
ANTHONY J. MEJIA
CITY CLERK
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4/15/2024