City Council to Vote Monday on Moving Election Date

By STAN FENDLEY
Falls Church Times Staff

Documents released by Falls Church City government yesterday indicate the City Council will vote Monday, Dec. 14, to move elections for City Council and School Board from May to November.  But the documents leave a major question unanswered – in which year do they plan to make the change?

If anything, the new documents make the Council’s intent less clear by suggesting that the change could be made in 2012, 2013 or 2014.

A review of recent Council activities on this issue may be helpful in understanding the state of play.  On Nov. 23 the Council passed by a vote of 4-3 the “first reading” of an ordinance moving the May 2010 election to November of that year.  The 2010 date was deleted from the title of ordinance prior to the vote but remained in the body of the approved document.  The “second reading” – or final passage – of the ordinance, still referring to 2010 in the body, was scheduled for Monday Dec. 14.

On Nov. 30 the Council held a public hearing on the issue, including taking comments from numerous Falls Church citizens, both in person and via email.  Among the concerns raised was that changing the date in 2010 was too soon and would extend the terms of four Council members which currently are scheduled to end on June 30, 2010.

Subsequently, discussion occurred regarding the possibility of making the change in 2012 instead of 2010.  This may be a parliamentary necessity since both Councilmen Dan Maller and Lawrence Webb have stated that they will not support moving the election in 2010, making it questionable whether four votes exist for final passage of an ordinance relating to 2010.

Making the change in 2012, however, would still extend the terms of three Council members up for reelection in May 2012 – Mayor Robin Gardner, Councilman Webb, and Councilman Nader Baroukh.  To this concern, Gardner suggested that members whose terms were scheduled to expire on June 30, 2012 would leave office at that time, to be replaced by new members appointed by the remainder of the Council.  Those appointed members would serve for six months until new members are elected and ready to take their seats.

But the new proposed ordinance contains no reference to Gardner’s plan in that regard.  Instead, the ordinance indicates that the three Council members whose terms will expire on June 30, 2012 “shall continue in office until their successors have been elected at the November general election. . . ”

One speaker at the Nov. 30 meeting who raised concerns over lack of specificity was former city Planning Commisioner Christine Sanders.  “I can’t tell what you’re planning to vote on,” Sanders told Council members.

Regarding the ordinance released yesterday, Sanders said this afternoon, “I think it’s confusing.  With so many options in the document, how are people to understand all the implications?”

In addition to the proposed ordinance, the agenda includes two additional measures to be considered regarding voter referenda:  one by Webb to asking for a study by the League of Women Voters, to be followed by a referendum, and one by Baroukh regarding a separate referendum proposal.

The Council meeting will begin Monday at 7:30pm in Council Chambers at City Hall.

Related Stories:

Citizen Petition on Election Change – Let the Voters Decide

City Council Blinks; 2010 Election Will Remain in May

Study First, Vote Second