State law requires all general law cities, like the City of El Paso de Robles, to have a City Clerk. The position may be appointive or elected. In Paso Robles, voters elect a City Clerk every four years. The term of the current City Clerk ends in 2020.
Pursuant to state law, there are three qualifications for the position of elected City Clerk: 1) the individual must be a resident of the City, 2) the individual must be registered to vote in the City, and 3) the individual must be at least 18 years old. As an elected position, there are no minimum educational requirements or professional qualifications.
The City of El Paso de Robles has placed a Measure on the ballot asking voters to decide whether this position should be appointive. This Measure asks the following question:
MEASURE H-18
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Shall the Office of City Clerk be Appointive?
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YES |
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NO |
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If a majority of voters vote yes on the above Measure, then the office of City Clerk will become an appointive office. The individual who holds that office will no longer be elected by the City’s voters. As an appointive office, the City Council would appoint a person to the position of City Clerk at the expiration of the term of the officer now in office, which will occur in November 2020, or upon a vacancy in that office. As an appointive office, the City Council may, by ordinance, vest in the City Manager its authority to appoint the City Clerk. Otherwise, the appointed City Clerk would hold office at the pleasure of the City Council. As an appointed officer, the City Clerk would not be required to be a City resident or elector but may be required to satisfy minimum educational or professional qualifications.
If this Measure is approved, the City could save on expenses associated with the office of City Clerk, including, but not limited to, election costs every four years.
If a majority of voters do not approve this Measure, the office of City Clerk will continue to be elected. The candidate with the most votes will be elected to the position of City Clerk for a four-year term.
