The elective officers of the City of Dixon shall be four (4) Councilmembers and the Mayor. The Council shall consist of the at-large elected Mayor and four (4) Councilmembers, each of whom, including the Mayor, shall have the right to vote on all questions coming before the Council.
A. 
Councilmembers. Each member of the Council shall serve a four (4) year term until his or her successor is elected and qualified. Members of the Council shall be elected by district and each district shall elect one (1) Councilmember. Only voters who live in a district shall be eligible to vote in the election for Councilmember of that district.
B. 
Residency. The Councilmember elected to represent a district shall reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for the Council must live in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election. Each Councilmember shall reside within the district for the full term of office. Termination of residency in a district by a Councilmember shall create an immediate vacancy for that Council district unless a substitute residence within the district is established within fourteen (14) days of the termination of residency. In the event that a Councilmember fails to provide evidence of a substitute residency in the district within fourteen (14) days of a change in residency, the Council shall presume the seat to be abandoned and vacant.
C. 
Mayor. The term of office of the Mayor shall be four (4) years until his or her successor is elected and qualified. The Mayor shall be elected by the voters of the City at large. The Mayor shall reside within the City limits and be a registered voter of the City for the full term of office. Termination of residency by the Mayor shall create an immediate vacancy in office unless a substitute residence within the City limits is established within fourteen (14) days of the termination of residency. In the event that the Mayor fails to provide evidence of a substitute residency in the district within fourteen (14) days of a change in residency, the Council shall presume the seat to be abandoned and vacant. The Mayor in office at the time the ordinance codified in this chapter takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of the full term to which he or she was elected.
(Ord. 16-007 § 1)
Beginning with the general municipal election in November 2016, members of the Council shall be elected on a by-district basis from four (4) Council districts.
A. 
Boundaries and Numbering of Each District. Each Council district shall be assigned a district number, with districts numbered 1 through 4. The boundaries and the number of each of the four (4) electoral districts for the Council are set forth in Exhibit A, including a map of the districts, which is incorporated herein by reference. The electoral districts may be subsequently reapportioned as provided by State law.
The Councilmembers of Districts 3 and 4 shall be elected by district in November 2016 for a term of four (4) years. The Councilmembers of Districts 1 and 2 shall be elected by district in November 2018 for a term of four (4) years. After the adoption of the ordinance codified in this chapter, all persons appointed to fill vacancies on the Council and all persons elected to fill vacancies on the Council at a special municipal election shall reside within the district to which they are appointed or elected.
B. 
Technical Changes to Council Districts. If necessary to facilitate the implementation of this section, the City Clerk is authorized to make technical adjustments to the district boundaries that do not substantively affect the populations in the districts, the eligibility of candidates, or the residence of elected officials within any district. The City Clerk shall advise the Council of any such adjustments that are found to be required in the implementation of the district.
C. 
Amendment of District Boundaries. Pursuant to Cal. Elec. Code § 21602, as it may be amended, the Council shall adjust the boundaries of any or all of the districts following each decennial Federal census. Using the census as a basis, the Council shall adjust the boundaries so that the districts shall be as nearly equal in population as practicable and in compliance with all applicable provisions of law. Any adjustment of district boundaries shall be made by ordinance adopted by the Council before the first day of November of the year following the year in which each decennial Federal census is taken. Prior to the public hearing approving the adjustment of the district boundaries, the City Council shall hold a public hearing on the proposed district boundaries as required by Cal. Elec. Code § 21601.
D. 
Transition Period. A period of transition from at-large elections to by-district elections will occur from the time of adoption of the first districting plan to the time that the by-district elections are held for all Councilmember districts. During this period of transition, each Councilmember elected at large in the regular municipal election of November 2014 will be designated by the Council as the Councilmember representing one (1) of Districts 1 and 2 in the districting plan whether or not that Councilmember resides in the district. The first by-district elections for Districts 3 and 4 shall occur during the regular municipal election in November 2016. The first by-district elections for Districts 1 and 2 shall occur during the regular municipal election in November 2018. Nothing contained herein shall prevent an incumbent Councilmember at the time of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this chapter from running for a Council district in which that Councilmember resides other than the district for which that member currently holds office, if the Councilmember is otherwise eligible to run in that district and vacates the office of Councilmember for the district of nonresidency if elected. No Councilmember may hold office in more than one (1) district. Each incumbent Councilmember elected at large shall be allowed to complete the term for which they were elected regardless of the district of residency so long as they otherwise remain eligible to hold the office and have not been removed for cause or elected to another office.
(Ord. 16-007 § 1; Ord. 22-002 § 1)