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Home My WebLink AboutRES 012704-P - General ElectionRESOLUTION NO. r A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS, ORDERING A GENERAL ELECTION FOR ELECTION OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR CITY COUNCIL SINGLE -MEMBER DISTRICTS 3, 49 AND 7 TO BE HELD ON MAY 15, 2004, ORDERING A RUN-OFF ELECTION, IF NECESSARY, AND ESTABLISHING PROCEDURES FOR SAID ELECTIONS. WHEREAS, the laws of the State of Texas and the Charter of the City of Georgetown, Texas provide that on Saturday, May 15, 2004, there shall be a General Election at which shall be elected the following officials for this City: Three (3) Members of the Georgetown City Council: one Councilmember from each of Districts 3, 4 and 7; and WHEREAS, the laws of the State of Texas and the Charter of the City of Georgetown, Texas further provide that the Election Code of the State of Texas is applicable to said election, and in order to comply with said Code, a Resolution should be passed establishing the procedure to be followed in said election, and designating the voting places for said election. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED AND ORDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN, TEXAS THAT: SECTION 1 - VERIFICATION OF FACTS The facts and recitations contained in the preamble of this resolution are hereby found and declared to be true and correct, and are incorporated by reference herein and expressly made a part hereof, as if copied verbatim. SECTION 2 - CONFORMANCE WITH CENTURY PLAN The City Council has found that this action implements Governmental Affairs Focus End 15.01 of the Century Plan - Policy Plan Element, which states: "All citizens actively participate in governmental functions;" and has found that this action is not inconsistent or in conflict with any other Century Plan Policies, as required by Section 2.03 of the Administrative Chapter of the Policy Plan, SECTION 3 - CANDIDATES This election shall be held to elect Council Members for City of Georgetown Single -Member Districts 3, 4 and 7. The updated single-mernber district boundaries were adopted by the City General and Special Election Resolution No. February 11, 2003 Page 1 of 5 Pages Council on February 26, 2002. The boundaries shown on that map have been confonned to actual metes and bounds descriptions through the use of the City `s GIS technology, and a copy of the GIS conformed District Map is attached to this Resolution as Exhibit "A. " The GIS conformed District Map was adopted as the Official Council District Map on February 11, 2003, and shall determine the qualification of the candidates to serve and shall govern the qualification of the voters to vote in said election. All candidates for the election to be held on the second Saturday in May, 2004, for Councilmembers for Districts 3, 4 and 7 shall file their applications with the City Secretary at the City Hall, 113 E. 8"' Street, Georgetown, Texas, on or before 5:00 p.m. on Monday, March 15, 2004. The order in which the names of the candidates are to be printed on the ballot shall be determined by a drawing held by the City Secretary on Wednesday, March 17, 2004, at 3:00 p.m. in the Main Floor Foyer at City Hall, 113 E. 8th Street, Georgetown, Texas. SECTION 5 - POSSIBLE RUN-OFF ELECTION As provided in the City Charter, in the event that no candidate can be declared the winner in any or all of the individual races to be conducted in the General Election, a runoff election shall be held not earlier than 20 days nor later than 30 days after the date of the final canvass of the main election, that date being Saturday, June 19, 2004. In such Runoff Election, the two candidates who received, in the preceding election, the highest number of votes for each office to which no one was elected, shall be voted on again, and the candidate who receives the majority of the votes cast for each such office in the Runoff Election shall be elected to such office. SECTION 6 — OPTICAL SCAN BALLOTS Voting shall be conducted with optical scan ballots prepared in conformity with the Texas Election Code. SECTION 7 — CONDUCT OF ELECTION Pursuant to Subchapter D of Chapter 31 of the Texas Election Code, the City Council is further ordering that this General Election and possible Runoff Election be conducted under the terms and conditions of a Joint Election Services Agreement between the City of Georgetown, Georgetown Independent School District, and Williamson County. Chapter 31, Subchapter D of the General and Special Election Resolution No. ®_,� jl— February 11, 2003 Page 2 of 5 Pages Texas Election Code provides that a city may contract with the Colony Elections Officer for election services if the city is located in whole or in part in the county. As authorized by Chapter 31, Subchapter D of the Texas Election code, the Georgetown City Council hereby appoints the Williamson County Elections Administrator, John Willingham, P. O. Box 209, Georgetown, Texas 78627, as the election officer for the purpose of conducting the May 15, 2004 General Election. This appointment includes services as Early Voting Clerk for the election, Counting Station Manager, Presiding Judge of the Central Counting Station, and Tabulation Supervisor. In addition and in accordance with Chapter 66 and Chapter 31 of the Texas Election Code, the City Council hereby appoints John Willingham as agent for the Custodian of Records ("Agent") for the election for the purpose of preserving voted ballots and other election records as required by the Texas Election Code, SECTION 8 - EARLY VOTING Early voting by personal appearance shall take place at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main St., Georgetown, Texas, and Branch Early Voting by personal appearance will take place at the Georgetown Independent School District Administration Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown, Texas. Each location will remain open during normal business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p1m.) each day specified for early voting, which is not a Saturday, a Sunday, or an official state holiday, beginnng on the 17th day preceding the date of the election, which is Wednesday, April 28, 2004, through Tuesday, May 11, 2004, each location remaining open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Early voting shall also be conducted on Saturday, May 1, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., on Sunday, May 2, from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., on Saturday, May 8, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., and on Sunday, May 9, 2004, from 1:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Main Early Voting Location at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main St., and at the Branch Early Voting Location at the GISD Administration Building, 603 Lakeway Drive, Georgetown, Texas. In the event of a Runoff Election, early voting by personal appearance shall take place at the Main Early Voting Location at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main Street and at the Branch Early Voting Location at the GISD Administration Building, 603 Lakeway Drive beginning Wednesday, June 2, 2004, through Tuesday, June 15, 2004, SECTION 10 - ELECTION DAY VOTING Election day voting shall take place at the Williamson County Courthouse, 710 Main Street for voters in County Voting Precincts 142, 168, 314, 357, 367, and 370; the Georgetown Post Office, 2300 Scenic Drive for voters in County Voting Precincts 343, 345, and 369; the Georgetown General and Special Election Resolution No. a -%o February 11, 2003 Page 3 of 5 Pages Independent School District Administration Building, 603 Lakeway Drive for voters in County Voting Precincts 301, 302, 305, 332, 371, and 379; and the Sun City Fitness Center, 2 Texas Drive, Building C for voters in County Voting Precincts 381 and 310. In the event of a Runoff Election on June 19, 2004, the same election day voting locations will be used as stated in the above paragraph for the General Election on May 15, 2004, SECTION 10 — ELECTION INFORMATION TO BE PROVIDED IN SPANISH The Mayor and all other election officers appointed by the City Council as being responsible for the preparation of notices, instructions, orders, ballots, and other written material pertaining to the General Election shall cause each such document to be translated into and furnished to voters in both the English language and the Spanish language in order to aid and assist voters speaking Spanish as a primary or an alternative language to properly participate in the election process. In addition, the Mayor and other responsible election officers are hereby authorized and directed to make available to the voters having the need of an individual capable of acting as a translator and speaking both English and Spanish languages who will assist Spanish speaking voters in understanding and participating in the election process. SECTION 11— CANVASSING OF RETURNS; DECLARING RESULTS The Williamson County Elections Administrator, as Georgetown's designated election officer, shall provide the written return of the General Election results to the City of Georgetown in accordance with the Texas Election Code, The City Council shall canvass the returns and declare the results of the General Election in accordance with the Texas Election Code and the City of Georgetown Charter at the Regular Council Meeting on Tuesday, May 25, 2004, at 6:00 p.m. If a Runoff Election is required, the Williamson County Elections Administrator shall provide the written return of the Runoff Election results to the City of Georgetown in accordance with the Texas Election Code. The City Council shall canvass the returns and declare the results of the Runoff Election in accordance with the Texas Election Code and the City of Georgetown Charter at a Special Council Meeting on Tuesday, June 29, 2004, at 5:00 p.m. SECTION 13— NOTICE OF ELECTION Notice of the General Election shall be published one time in the English and Spanish languages, in a newspaper published within Georgetown's territory at least 10 days and no more than 30 days before the General Election and as otherwise may be required by the Texas Election Code. Notice of the General Election shall also be posted on the bulletin board used by the City Council to post notices of its City Council meetings no later than the 21" day before the General Election. General and Special Election Resolution No. -- February 11, 2003 Page 4 of 5 Pages SECTION 13 — AUTHORIZATION TO EXECUTE The Mayor of the City of Georgetown is authorized to execute and the City Secretary is authorized to attest to this Order on behalf of the City Council; and the Mayor is further authorized to do all other things legal and necessary in connection with the holding and consummation of the General Election. The facts and recitations contained in the preamble of this resolution are hereby found to be true and correct, and are incorporated by reference herein and made a part hereof, as if copied verbatim. SECTION 15 — EFFECTIVE DATE This Order shall be effective immediately upon its approval. RESOLVED this 9kday of , 2004. THE CITY OF GEORGETOWN: Nelon, Mayor Approved as to form: atricia E. Carls City Attorney General and Special Election Resolution No. February 11, 2003 Page 5 of 5 Pages Attest: It f Sandra D. Lee, City Secretary