City attorney presents charter changes to make mayor a voting member and remove veto authority

City staff presented a proposed package of charter amendments that would change how Stayton’s council and mayor operate and update several technical provisions.

Ross Williamson reviewed the draft in section order and said the most substantive change is making the mayor a voting member of the council while removing the mayor’s veto authority. "We say that the mayor is a voting member of the council, and the mayor no longer has the veto authority," Williamson said. He said that change required terminology updates and related edits across the charter.

Other substantive edits include adding a sixth councilor (creating a seven-member council including the mayor), updating the council vacancy process so appointments are made by the whole council rather than giving the mayor sole appointment authority with council consent, and moving city-manager duties from code into the charter using language drawn from the League of Oregon Cities’ model charter.

Williamson said the draft also clarifies the annexation provision to reflect recent state litigation and a specific statute citation, and adds a municipal-judge provision that explicitly allows the judge to issue administrative warrants for matters such as nuisance enforcement and code inspections.

On timing, Williamson said staff could prepare a resolution to place the proposed amendments on the May ballot and that, if voters approve, the new structure would take effect in July. Councilors debated whether to target May or wait until November, with several members urging voter education before the measure is placed on a ballot. Williamson recommended staff bring a resolution to the council by Feb. 17 if the council wants to pursue a May placement.

No formal council action occurred on the charter at this meeting; councilors provided direction on timing and public education.