Council asks staff to draft charter amendments including a resign-to-run option for voter consideration

The Richardson City Council reviewed final recommendations from the Charter Review Commission and gave staff direction to draft a resolution that would place two additional propositions on the charter amendment ballot.

Staff summarized the Commission's work and the set of propositions (48 total, 10 substantive). Council discussed two new items: clarifying language so a councilmember under vacancy may not vote on appointments to fill that vacancy, and adding a "resign-to-run" provision requiring elected officials who become candidates for another office to resign their current seat. The council debated whether any resign-to-run rule should be prospective (applying only to future candidacies) or retroactive (applying to currently announced candidates).

City Attorney Pete Smith explained that, as a general matter, charter amendments are construed prospectively unless the language expressly states retroactivity; however, retroactive application can be drafted if the council desires. Several council members argued the rule should apply retroactively to avoid the current limbo and to align council standards with those applied to appointed board members; others cautioned that retroactivity would remove an elected member from office prior to a successor election and urged careful consideration.

After discussion the council asked staff to draft a resolution for the Feb. 9 meeting that includes: 1) the clarified appointment voting language, and 2) the retroactive resign-to-run option with explicit carve-outs so that a council member who runs for mayor or for another council seat would not be required to resign. Staff will prepare formal ballot language and return for council review on Feb. 9.

Next steps: Staff directed to produce a resolution and ballot language for council consideration on Feb. 9; the council emphasized there will be public input opportunities before any item is placed on the May ballot.