NOTICE OF BALLOT TITLE AND EXPLANATORY STATEMENT FOR MULTNOMAH COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT – APPOINTMENT OF CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE MEMBERS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a ballot title and explanatory statement for a Multnomah County Charter Amendment has been filed with the Multnomah County Director of Elections to be referred to voters in Multnomah County, at the November 8, 2016 General Election. Any registered voter dissatisfied with the Ballot Title and Explanatory Statement may file a petition with the Multnomah County Circuit Court for review on or before 5:00 PM, August 16, 2016. Any person filing a challenge must also file a copy of the challenge with the Director of Elections, 1040 SE Morrison St., Portland, by the end of the next business day after the petition is filed with the Circuit Court.
Ballot Title:
Caption: Amends charter review committee appointment process, sets appointment, convening timelines.
Question: Shall Office of Citizen Involvement create charter review committee candidate pool, sets timelines for application, appointment, convening committee?
Summary: The Office of Citizen Involvement (OCI) will be responsible to inform residents of the county of the purpose of the charter review committee and the opportunity to serve on the committee, and will endeavor to produce a diverse pool of applicants to serve on the committee. The OCI will forward all applications to the appropriate State senator or representative. The current process for appointment to the committee by State senators and representatives representing senate districts located in Multnomah County will remain the same. The proposed amendment: 1) changes the date by which appointments to the committee must be made from August 30 to August 15; 2) adds a requirement that the committee convene its first meeting in September 2021, and every six years thereafter; 3) specifies OCI shall convene the meetings of the committee; 4) requires the board of county commissioners appropriate sufficient funds for OCI to carry out these duties; 5) removes requirement that vacancies on the committee be filled by the senator and representative who had the authority to make the original appointment.
Explanatory Statement:
This measure proposes changes to Chapter 12.40 of the County Charter, which establishes the process for appointment of the members of the Charter Review Committee (CRC), and adds administrative requirements.
The measure adds five requirements to the appointment process: 1) requires the Office of Citizen Involvement (OCI) to inform residents of the County of the purpose of the CRC, and the opportunity to serve on the committee; 2) requires the OCI endeavor to produce a diverse pool of candidates; 3) requires OCI to begin accepting applications to serve on the CRC January 1, 2021, and every six years thereafter; 4) requires OCI to deliver any application to serve on the CRC to the state senator and/or state representative who represents the applicant by April 1, 2021, and every six years thereafter; 5) changes the date by which the state senators and representatives must make their appointments to the CRC from August 30 to August 15, 2021 and every six years thereafter.
The measure deletes the procedure for filling a vacancy, meaning the charter will not provide for filling a vacancy.
The measure adds two administrative requirements: 1) the committee must convene its first meeting in September 2021, and every six years thereafter; and 2) OCI shall convene the meetings of the committee.
The measure requires the board of county commissioners to appropriate sufficient funds for the OCI to carry out the duties specified.
Tim Scott, Multnomah County Director of Elections