Terms of city officers begin and end at noon on the first day in January which is not a Sunday or legal holiday, following a regular city election.
Except as otherwise provided by state law or the city charter, terms for elective offices are two years. However, the term of an elective office may be changed to two or four years by petition and election. Upon receipt of a valid petition as defined in section 362.4, requesting that the term of an elective office be changed, the council shall submit the question at a special city election to be held within sixty days. If a majority of the persons voting at the special election approves the changed term, it becomes effective at the beginning of the term following the next regular city election. If a majority does not approve the changed term, the council shall not submit the same proposal to the voters within the next four years.
At the first regular city election after the terms of council members are changed to four years, terms shall be staggered as follows:
1. If an even number of council members are elected at large, the half of the elected council members who receive the highest number of votes are elected for four-year terms. The remainder are elected for two-year terms.
2. If an odd number of council members are elected at large, the majority of the elected council members who receive the highest number of votes are elected for four-year terms. The remainder are elected for two-year terms.
3. In case of a tie the mayor and clerk shall determine by lot which council members are elected for four-year terms.
4. If the council members are elected from wards, the council members elected from the odd-numbered wards are elected for four-year terms and the council members elected from even-numbered wards are elected for two-year terms.
After July 1, 1986, a petition submitted under this section to change the term of council members from two to four years shall specify if the terms are to be staggered or run concurrently. If the petition provides for concurrent terms and the changed term is approved by the voters, unnumbered paragraph 3 of this section shall not apply and the terms shall be concurrent. If valid petitions for staggered and concurrent terms are submitted, the first filed shall govern.
[R60, § 1081, 1084, 1091, 1093, 1106; C73, § 390, 511, 514, 518, 521, 535; C97, § 646-649; S13, § 646-649; SS15, § 1056-b3; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5632, 6625, 6626; C46, 50, § 363.10, 419.11, 419.12; C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, § 363.9, 363.10, 363.28; C75, 77, 79, 81, § 376.2]
86 Acts, ch 1224, § 34
Referred to in § 39.20
Optional staggered terms for mayors for 1997 and 1999 city elections; 97 Acts, ch 102, §1
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© 1999 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa
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