Memo Changing City Elections Date
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To: Hopkins City Council
From: Jim Genellie
Date: October 13, 1994
Subject: Changing the Date of City Elections
The Minnesota Legislature, earlier this year, adopted a law requiring all local elections
to take place in November of either even or odd years. This law supersedes all local
laws including charter provisions. Local governments have until 1998 to bring their
elections into compliance. Staff is bringing this issue before the Council for discussion
purposes only.
The Hopkins Charter Commission will be considering this issue at its meeting on
October 24. Two decisions need to be made:
. 1 - Whether to have the City's elections in odd or even years; and
2 - When to move the election to November.
Currently the City's elections take place in May of odd years. The next election is
scheduled for May of 1995. Most of the surrounding cities also have their elections in
odd years. Minnetonka, St. Louis Park, and Golden Valley have their elections in odd
years. The Hopkins School District, which currently holds its elections in May of odd
years, has decided to continue to hold its elections in odd years.
Staff is going to recommend that the City continue to hold its elections in odd years.
The City, therefore, will be able to continue to share the cost of local elections with the
School District.
The second issue is when the City should make the switch to November elections. The
School District has not yet decided when to switch to November.
The City has several choices:
1 - It can move the 1995 elections to November. New councilmembers would take
office on January 1. All future elections would be held in November. This will
require extending the terms of all current councilmembers by six months.
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,. 2 - It can decide that all elections after 1998 will be held in November. This would
result in extending the terms of the Councilmembers elected in 1995 and 1997
by six months.
3 - It can move the 1997 election to November. This would result in extending the
terms of the councilmembers elected in 1995 and those current councilmembers
whose terms expire in 1997.
These various scenarios can also be implemented by reducing the terms of
councilmembers. However, since the Mayor only serves a two year term, any plan for
reducing terms results in a six month term for some Mayor.
Staff will be recommending that the Charter Commission consider moving the 1995
election to November. This is the easiest and quickest method of complying with state
law.
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r - Highlights
I, Head Start bus drivers
, (See Transportation, page 64)
Magnet schools
{See Bonding, page 6)
Minnesota ZOOI Duluth aquarium
(See Bonding, page 7)
School access to juvenile data
(See Crime, page 12)
Hot line for school crimes
(See Crime, page 16)
Other sales tax exemptions -
student computers
(See Taxes, page 60)
, Youth grants to cities
(See Crime, page 16)
Almost all elections will be held in November under a new uniform elections law. (HF323/SFl512*1
CH646 ) II
Starting school early The statt' began delaying some state aId ELECTIONS I
payments [0 schools in the 1980s during :1
Recognizing an import:1nt Jewish holiday senes of budget cnses. Uniform elections
and the unique Importance of the first day of Between 1982 ;md 1993, the state has bor-
school. Minnesot.:l school distncts ....nIl have rowed $664 million from districts through thIS A new law requires th::n all Minnesota
the option of starting classes a few days accounting strategy, called "shiftIng." Although eleCtions - except special elections and most
~ earlier thIS fall. it helps the state's cash balances, shIfting Iow- townshIp elections - be held in November.
Gov. Arne Carlson signed a bIll mto law ers a district's cash reserve, sometimes causing Curremly, city and school elections can be
that would allow distriCts to start the 1994- them finanCial hardships. Some dlstncts have held on different days during the year.
cJ5 school year on the Thursday or Friday had [0 use shan-term borro'Nlng. The new law would require city, school
before Labor Day. Currently, the state is required to pay back district, and special district elections that are
Minnesota law currently prohibits school distncts that "shift" theIr regular local prop- held any other time to move to the Tuesday
distncts from starring classes before Labor erty tax funds to replace late state aid pay- following the first Monday in November. In
Day - schools usually start the day after ments. The law. however, does not authorize even-numbered years, those elections would
Labor Day, This year, however, the begin- the state to repay districts that cover the late then coincide with state and federal elec-
ning 0 f Rosh Hashana h, the J eWlsh New Yea r, payments with local referendum levies~ tions. Pnmary elections, if any, must be held
falls on what would normally be the first day extra property tax money their local taxpay~ in September.
of schooL ers have voted to give the district Electlons could be held in wher even-
Jewish children do not go to school on A provislOn that. enables the stale to pay numbered years or in odd-numbered years,
Rosh Hashanah; the two days are traditLon- back all the districts IS included in the 1994 at the discretion of the local governing bod-
ally set aside for confession and introspec- K-12 omnibus education finance law. It was les.
cion. sponsored In the House by Rep. Kathleen Also under the new law, terms for school
Underthe new law, sponsored m the House Vellenga (DFL-St. Paul) and in the Senate by board members elected after January 1995
by Rep, Jim RhouesUR-St. Louis Park) and in Sen. Lawrence Pogemiller (0 FL-Mpls) , would be increased from three to four years.
the Senate by Sen. Ted Mondale CDFL-St Early in the session, the House unani- Exceptions to the new uniform election
Louis Park), dIstricts can deCIde to start early, mously approved a SImilar measure (HFl925/ day would be most township elections and
allowing Je'Nlsh students to attend [he first SF2922l. However, the bill did not move m school bond and levy referendums.
day of classes. (HF1845*/SF169J/CH392) [he Senate; so lawmakers folded it Into the Township elections could still be held in
omnibus educatlon bill, which has been March. The bill's House sponsor. Rep. Tom
Setfling old school debts signed into law. ~HF2189*/SF2206/CH6+7) Osthoff (DFL-St. Paul), said townships were
left out because they hold annual "town han
The state will repay $172 mIllion ollhe Reducing truancy meetings" where residents discuss the issues
..a $664 million it owes Minnesota school dis- (See Crime. page 16) for the year, and he didn't want to disrupt
tricts, under a new lav,t that process.
The money will help reimburse school Habitat for humanities Residents of metropolitan area towns, how~
dismcts whlch, for years, have covered late (See Bonding, page 7l ever, could choose to move their elections to
state aid payments Wlth their own money. Nuvember as well.
Under the new law, CIties, counties. and
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Highli'JI'h - I
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schnol disnicts could begin holding Novem- EJ EMPLOYMENT I St. Paul residency requiremen't ,
berdcctions whenevn they choose, but they
must begin by 1998. Ne\vly hired St. P~l111 empk1yee;" '.nll ' MIL-
The law also would set J mandatory mini Reinventing government-speak required [Q live within lhe cilY limits ---
mum voting. time from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. for Lawmakers have tlnkercd With the Ian- provlclu11lS CllY council agrees to the Idea- I
city and schuol electIOns outside the metro.. under new law.
politan area. Curremly, CitieS can set their guage in an effo1l [0 lessen the stigma of City leaders, who requested the legisb- l
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Gvm voting time as long as it lasts at least unemployment. non. have testified thot If theIr employees live
three hours. In the metropolitan area, polls A new law, effectlve Aug. 1, 1994, of[;- In the city. more of theIr paychecks would be
must be open for a municipal election from at cially changes the legal tenll "unemployment spent lTI the city. They also believe th~lt [he
least 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. compensatJon" tl1'Ie-c'mpluyment insurance" Clty would be safer if its pohce officers ~md I
The law was spllDsored in the Senate by in recognit!on 01" Ihe program's focus on firefIghters were required Cl1 live \vilhin Sl ,
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Set:'.Villiam LU[ner IDFL-Brooklyn Park) retummg unemplo\'ed pe"pk to the work bul's borders. ,
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IHi: -, 3/SF 1512' ICH6+6) force. Current St. Paul Cltv empk,yees would not ~
House sponsor Rep Walt Perlt (DFL be affected by the new law.
Small town polling results Woodbury I admltCed Ih~H It probably wtll It will be IIp lO the :-,t. P:lU I (ilV (,1unCllto
uke people ~l whlle [0 calch on to the new decide how to carry out [he resldenc\' ~e-
Rural citles and to\v11S that get together 10 term. Sen. Lmda Runbeck i [R CIrcle Pmes) quircment. (,.1Unol members lTIJ.V deClde,
hold their eleclions at a common polling site earned the measure in the Senate. \ HF3053 "I for exam p Ie, ll1 give nnv hlf('s one ye:1 r to
each w1ll be reqUired to bnng along their own SF230iJ/CIH88\ move tnl,) St Paul.
ballot boxes, under a new law. List ::ear. Ihe Leg15laturc amhcm:ed \Illl~ ~
Lnder currem law, up to four non-metro- Disaster leave for state employees ncapc)lis ;l' adopt .1 resldcnL': reqUIrement. \
polit:m cilies or to\vTIS Gill combine tntu lme The \llllneapohs CllV C\lunCII ,~l\'ic:; new i
1
,reClllCllO vote in the sJ.me place. This ollen Qualified stale empkwees cJ.n recel\'e 50 emphwees llTIe ye~lr al"ter lhev"re hIred to
:lelps small [Owns saw monev on dectlon pel (ent ul Ihelr usual pay fur up to 15 day" If move IntO Ihe CltV. i
Judges and otherexpcns.cs re!J.ted to holJin\.'; Ihev lea\'t~ [heir Johs to hdp l1ut dunnl!: j .-\bl,LH 52 pCfcent, O['lhe :'>.51.)1.1 ')l Paul cily !
electIons n,ulOnal dis,lster employe'~::' I i\"e ,_'utside :it. P~lUI. ~~lld Hllu"e ,
The new law. dkcme ,-\ug. 1. 19CJ-f. ;lnd The stalt' .-mpJoYLLS wuuld ha\T to he bill ~p'Jn5l)r Rep. SlC':C Tnmble IDr-L-St J
5:" 'flSL)red m the Hl)USC JY Rep. P,~tt:r Rll cc:mtled dis'\51Cr ser. IlL \"u!ul1tcers WlI h lhe P.1U!) Thc legIsbl1L111 \\',l~ ~pon"'.1red by S.-n. i
c!'.I,;,1\lch \ DFL-f,mbaultl. \vIll ec1ntlnue to .-\mencan Red (ros,," it ..:iI. the\' (an nmv ht' R,mdv Kelly, DFL-St. P,llIli in lhc :)enJle a
~lilt.1\V fc,r;l common pollingsile, but each CI[\ grJnted up 10 l'i worklllg d3v" ot leave c~lch IHF881/5F:;Oy"/CH5-;-1) I ~
,)r 'l'wn will be reljUlred to use c1 separate year ll) volunleer for ,he Red Cross at dIsaster
b,lllOl box for e::!ch precinct. SHes acros:; the country such as a hurnc:me i
Vacation donation expansion ,
The Office of the .Secretary ,)f S[:ue, which diSJ51er m Flonda or J wtld Ihe outbreak m i
oversees electIons, has been unable to a[- Clli/omia Under J [lC\V law. SUle emplovees can i
tnbute speCIfic results to towns and cilles The employees \Vlll receive 50 percent 1)( donate up [(1 :'ill addIl10nal hours ,J[ .lccrued l
[hat combme for electlons. The new law WIll rheir pay while on leave Jnd WIll still accrue vac:allon tlme. in ~ldditlon [I) [he 12 hours I
allow Ihem to dell-o'er taIlored results to each vacalion nme, penslon, sick leave, earned they L:\T1 alreadv leg:!llv don~lte. to help lWO ,
my by precInct. o\'t:rtune, J.nd other Job bendlts ~lS Ihnugh stalc empkwees !
Another change n1JJe by the new law no they were \I:urkmg tull time. The stJte Isn I The new law sets 1\]) IWl1 f1\nJs to which I
longer requires that the municipalities com- liabie forinJunes Its workers sustJlTI while l,n vacation llme may be Jl'llaled - ,lne fm cl !
bining their polling places be in the same disaster leave. howe\'er. Minnesota Po II uticm Con[rol :'I.~encv 1l\[PC\)
coumy. An election anomaly in [he city of The emplovcc's 0055 or aprOlTItmg JU- employee whose chtld needs a bone maITO\V
:-'.i[ankato prompted this change in [he law. Ihomy has to appruve the leave, wh1l.:h wIll tr~msplant and another lor J Department "t
'vVhen lhe city of Manka to, locJted in Blue be granted based '_'n the Red Cro"s' need for \1rlIlarv AtlaIrs (DtvlA) emrloyee whl) wa~
E:.Jrth County. annexed some land across [he S(lmeone with the employee's expertIse. dISabled \\'hIle helpmg UUE :lla c:.lr aCCIdent m
Mmnesota Rl~'er m neighbonng Nicollel The meaSure \Va" ~ponsored in the House Januarv 1 c)LJ+.
Coumy, the CIty had to send at leJst two bv Rep. Charlie We~l\'er UR-Anoka) and in linGer the program, the number of cio-
election Judges [0 the new precInct every the Senate by Sen Embt'f ReichglJtt Jungc nated vacalWll hours lup to 12 huurs per I
e!cdi(Jn day, even though nobody actually I,DFL New Hope) It takes effect Aug. 1, don:Jting cmploy<,e) i~ c:rediled to lhe em-
lived lTI this largely commercial and indus- 1994. I.HFl915'/SFI n-f/CH583) ployees' SIck leave JeCI_'ums, which enables
tlial precInct The new law wili allow Man- them to remaIn on [he pavTol1.
kato and a handful of other c!ties in N1inne- rf the 'vlpeA or OI\IA emplovee uses all of
sow m similar s[tuatl\JTI5 to combine polling Ihose 12 1ll1urs '1f donated llme. Lip ll1 :.ill
places, adJillOnal hours per empkwee of ,ICc,llell a!
Sen. Larry Pogemiller lDFL-Mpls I spon- v3cation le~1\'e ;na:' be d,.)n~l(eJ
50red [he bill III the Sen:Jte lHF26-;-21 Thl5 program IS differel1l ~han ; he l)lle
SP797*/CH60n alre3dv In law that permils [he'c~ash-')Ul' of
donated VJcmon time [0 help rCDrlc [Xl\' ~
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IJnreIl11hurseJ mCdl(al exncnsc:c N
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