HomeMy WebLinkAbout17495 ORD - 03/02/1983AN ORDINANCE
COMPLYING WITH UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT ORDER OF
FEBRUARY 2, 1983, AND ESTABLISHING A NEW ELECTORAL SYSTEM
FOR THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI
PRESCRIBING FORM, STANDARDS, AND DISTRICT BOUNDARIES AS
SHOWN ON THE ATTACHED EXHIBITS TO BE EFFECTIVE UPON
PRE -CLEARANCE BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE UNITED
STATES AND APPROVAL BY THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT JUDGE
FOR THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF TEXAS; AND DECLARING AN
EMERGENCY.
WHEREAS, on February 2, 1983, United States District Judge George
P. Kazen in Civil Action No. C-81-227, Abel Alonzo, et al, Plaintiffs, vs.
Luther Jones, et al, Defendants concluded that the further use of the at
large system for election of the city council members in the City of Corpus
Christi should be prohibited and directed Defendants within thirty (30) days
to submit to the Court a proposed new plan for electing persons to the City
Council.
WHEREAS, the City Council desires to comply with such order;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Membership and term.
a. The city council of the City of Corpus Christi shall consist of
eight (8) council members and a mayor. Five (5) council members shall be
elected by majority vote from single member districts as shown on attached
Exhibit "A"; three (3) council members shall be elected at large by plurality
vote with winners required to gain at least twelve percent (12%) of the total
votes cast for all candidates for all at large council member positions, and
the mayor shall be elected at large by majority vote.
1'7495
SEP 2 81984
MEMLMED
b. The mayor and members of the city council shall be elected for
a term of two (2) years and shall hold office until their respective
successors have been elected and qualified. The terms of the mayor and city
council members elected in 1983 shall expire upon the conduct of the April
1985 elections and the qualification of the successful candidates.
SECTION 2. Election Standards.
a. Residence: To be a candidate for mayor or city council, a
person must be a citizen of the United States, a qualified voter of the city,
a resident of the state for a period of twelve (12) months next preceding the
date of the deadline for filing for office, and a actual resident of the city
for a period of six (6) months next preceding the date of such deadline.
Additionally, a candidate for election from a single member district must
have been a resident of that district for a period of six (6) months next
preceding the date of the deadline for filing for office. Actual residence
in a single member district from which elected, or in case of an at large
position actual residence in the city, must be maintained throughout the term
of office and failure to do so shall work a forfeiture of office.
b. Run-offs.
1. If no candidate for mayor receives a majority of all votes
cast for such office at any regular or special election, there shall be held
on the second Saturday following any such election a run-off election, at
which the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes in the
regular or special election shall stand for election.
2. If no candidate for city council from a given single member
district receives a majority of all votes cast for such office at any regular
or special election, there shall be held on the second Saturday following any
such election a run-off election, at which the two candidates receiving the
highest number of votes in the regular or special election shall stand for
election.
3. In regular or special elections of at large council members
each voter shall be entitled (but not required) to cast as many votes as
there are at large council positions to be filled. In regular or special
elections of three at large council members, each voter shall be entitled
(but not required) to cast three (3) votes for three (3) different
candidates. If fewer than three (3) candidates for at large city council
positions receive a plurality of at least twelve percent (12%) each of the
total votes cast for all at large city council candidates, there shall be
held on the second Saturday following any such election a run-off election,
at which (a) if no candidate received at least twelve percent (12%) of the
total votes cast for all candidates for the at large positions in the regular
or special election, the four (4) candidates receiving the greatest number of
votes shall stand for election; (b) if only one candidate received at least
twelve percent (12%) of the total votes cast for all candidates for at large
positions in the regular or special election, the next three (3) candidates
receiving the greatest number of votes shall stand for election; (c) if two
(2) candidates received at least twelve percent (12%) of the total votes cast
for all candidates for at large positions in the regular or special election,
the next two (2) candidates receiving the greatest number of votes shall
stand for election. The winners in any such run-off election for at -large
positions shall be determined by a plurality vote.
c. Application for name or names to appear on ballot.
Candidates for mayor or city council shall file with the city
secretary not more than sixty (60) and not less than thirty (30) days prior
to election day an application for his or her name to appear on the ballot as
a candidate for such office. Such application must be in writing and duly
verified under oath or affirmed and contain the following information:
(1) Office for which applicant is a candidate.
(2) Statement of eligibility under Article 1.05 of the Texas
Election Code.
(3) Occupation.
(4) Residence address and length of residence in Texas next
preceding the date of the deadline, the length of residence in the City of
Corpus Christi next preceding the date of the deadline for filing, and if a
candidate for a single member district position, length of residence in such
district next preceding the date of the deadline for filing.
(5) Age.
(6) Current voter registration number.
(7) Current voter precinct number.
(8) That applicant does not owe delinquent taxes to the city.
(9)
Loyalty affidavit that applicant will support and defend the
Constitution and laws of the United States, of the State of Texas, and the
City of Corpus Christi.
(10) An application for a political party or slate of candidates
must conform to state law and must be signed by at least five hundred (500)
qualified voters of the City of Corpus Christi.
SECTION 3. District boundaries and support data.
The district boundaries of the five single member districts as
shown on attached Exhibit "A", as supported by the demographic data as shown
on attached Exhibit "B" are hereby adopted.
SECTION 4. That the effective date of this ordinance shall be upon
pre -clearance by the Attorney General of the United States and approval by
the Federal District Judge for the Southern District of Texas. Subject to
such approval by the above authorities, the city council will call an
election under the new system provided herein for August 13, 1983.
Thereafter, city council elections shall be held on the first Saturday in
April in odd numbered years.
SECTION 5. That upon written request of the mayor or five council
members, copy attached, to find and declare an emergency due to the need to
expedite adoption in order to meet the deadline set by U.S. District Judge
George P. Kazen as outlined above, such finding of an emergency is made and
declared requiring suspension of the Charter rule as to consideration and
voting upon ordinances or resolutions at three regular meetings so that this
ordinance is passed and shall to e effect upon first reading as an emergency
measure this theamd day of , 1983.
ATTEST:
Secretary MAYOR
THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
Wtrositi
1
A RO D:
DAY OF , 1983:
li. BruceAycoc ity ttorney
The election procedures outlined in the above ordinance are hereby
approved by the Plaintiffs in Cause No. C-81-227, Abel Alonzo, et al v.
Luther Jones, et al: Abel Alonzo; Jesus C. Lopez; Jeanel M. Jaimes; Noe P.
Jimenez; Corpus Christi LULAC Council No. 1; Corpus Christi Ladies LULAC
Council No. 26; Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LACLA), Corpus
Christi Chapter; American GI Forum; Mexican American Democrats (MAD),
Corpus Christi Chapter; Agnes Horn; and Mike Zepeda; through their attorneys
of record.
Paul D. Rich
Jose Garza
MKT_
T. ,... • - .
1
L I K
F
hcchtous
_L
—+
E
(
I _ \ l!
D i C I B I A AA -4...,__12_, BB CC
--
=7-7- _-� :ff_ ;a - ;f 8 .
I �I
hthh
�P
A�
7
i
{
iEn Nun y
A
7 DISTRICT 1
TOTAL % DISTRICT % CORPUS
1 POPULATION 46184 100 20
SPANISH 25510 55 23
BLACKS 5763 12 48
7 ANGLOS 14911 32 13
• DISTRICT 2
TOTAL % DISTRICT % CORPUS
• POPULATION 49067 100 21
SPANISH 32828 67 30
BLACKS 781 2 7
• ANGLOS 15458 32 14
>
>
>
>
DISTRICT 3
TOTAL % DISTRICT % CORPUS
POPULATION 46687 100 20
SPANISH 30054 64 27
BLACKS 3694 8 31
ANGLOS 12939 28 11
DISTRICT 4
TOTAL % DISTRICT % CORPUS
POPULATION 46380 100 20
SPANISH 8221 18 8
BLACKS 884 2 7
ANGLOS 37275 80 33
DISTRICT 5
TOTAL % DISTRICT % CORPUS
POPULATION 45781 100 20
SPANISH .12934 28 12
BLACKS 775 2 7
ANGLOS 32072 70 28
. COMPROMISE PLAN
� x / "5
1
'TRI CT 1
8 9
30 38 44
46 47 49
52 60 61
76 77 78
79 81 82
99 101 103
107 110 111
DISTRICT 2
1 3 4
6 21 31
32 33 39
40 41 43
• 45 50 57
58 59 62
67 68 69
72 74 75
▪ 83 85 87
38
DISTRICT 3
15 20 24
) 34 51 53
56 71 73
80 95 96
97 98 100
113 114 123
DISTRICT 4
2 17 18
42 63 64
65 86 91
92 117 120
122
DISTRICT 5
5 48 66
) 70 84 89
90 93 ' 94
106 109 112
115 116 118
119 121
Corpus Christi, Texas
046( day of j , 1983
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Corpus Christi, Texas
For the reasons set forth in the emergency clause of the foregoing ordinance
or resolution, an emergency exists requiring suspension of the Charter rule
as to consideration and voting upon ordinances or resolutions at three
regular meetings; I/we, therefore, request that you suspend said Charter rule
and pass this ordinance or resolution finally on the date it is introduced,
or at the present meeting of the City Council.
Respectfully, Respectfully,
Council Members
MAYOR
THE CITY OF CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS
The above ordinance was passed the following vote:
Luther Jones
Betty N. Turner
Jack K. Dumphy
Bob Gulley
Herbert L. Hawkins, Jr.
Dr. Charles W. Kennedy
Cliff Zarsky
1 7495