Agenda

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Item # 11.

Work Session and Regular Meeting

Meeting Date:	04/14/2020
Department:	City Secretary

AGENDA CAPTION:

Present, Discuss, and Consider Action on an Ordinance Amending Ordinance No. O20-04 to Postpone the May 2, 2020 Special Charter Amendment Election.

BACKGROUND:

The City Council adopted Ordinance No. O20-04 ordering a Special Election to be held on May 2, 2020 for the purpose of amending the Home Rule Charter with twenty-six (26) Propositions at the February 13, 2020 City Council Meeting. On March 13, 2020, Governor Greg Abbott certified that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is spreading throughout the State and declared a state of disaster for all counties in Texas.

On March 18, the Governor issued a Proclamation to suspend various statutes to allow political subdivisions of the state who had scheduled an election on the May uniform election date to move their general and/or special election to November 2020, the next uniform election date. At the February 25 City Council Meeting, an Ordinance was adopted which canceled the May General Election as all candidates were unopposed.

Dallas County Elections Department (DCED) Elections Administrator Toni Pippins-Poole notified the Town on March 19 that DCED would not administer the May 2, 2020 Election as 44% of the 324 Vote Centers were not available for use in the May election date. In addition, due to health concerns workers scheduled to work this election have advised they would not work. At the March 20, 2020 Special Emergency Council Meeting, the City Council was advised of this new development. The cost for renting and/or purchasing our own election equipment would be expensive and finding election workers during this disaster may be difficult. Council consensus was to postpone the Special Election until a future uniform election date.

RECOMMENDATION:

Administration recommends approval.

Attachments
Ordinance - Postponing May 2020 Special Election