V.2. First Reading Ordinance Amending Chapter 4 of the Hopkins Charter (Municipal Elections); Domeier
CITY OF HOPKINS
City Council Report 2025-009
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Amy Domeier, City Clerk
Date: January 21, 2025
Subject: Ordinance No. 2025-1219 Amendment of the Hopkins Charter by
Ordinance
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
MOTION TO Approve for First Reading Ordinance 2025-1219 Amendment of the
Hopkins Charter by Ordinance.
PREVIOUS ACTION
The Charter Commission voted 11-0 to move forward with this amendment at their May
29 and July 31 meetings. The City Council voted 4 -1 to move forward with amendment
at the October 1 public hearing. The motion failed since a 5 -0 vote was required to hold
the second reading. The Charter Commission voted unanimously again on November
20 to move forward with the amendment asking the Council to reconsider before moving
the item to a future voting ballot.
OVERVIEW
The Hopkins Charter Commission is proposing amending the City Charter to chang e
municipal elections from odd -year to even-year.
The proposed amendment is based on the following:
• Increased voter turnout and civic engagement .
o One of the most significant benefits of moving local elections from odd
years to even years (when county, state and federal elections are held)
is the increase in voter turnout. Elections in odd years in Hopkins have
much lower participation rates, as they are not held alongside major
elections.
Odd Years Even Years
Election Year Turnout Election Year Turnout
2023 19% 2024 80%
2021 23% 2022 68%
2019 14% 2020 90%
2017 21% 2018 79%
2015 11% 2016 89%
2013 17% 2014 57%
Administration
o One of the City Council goals is to “Take it to Them”. The city is required
to be open two Saturday, one Sunday, and a Tuesday evening and until
Monday at 5 p.m. the night before Election Day in the even-year election
which increases voter turnout. During the 2024 election, 50% of the
voting turnout was by early voting with 30% happening in -person at City
Hall during the three weeks before the election. Whereas in 2023, only
3% of Hopkins voters voted early which included one Saturday and
additional Monday until 5 p.m. that the city is required to be open.
o Even year elections attract more voters primarily because they coincide
with high-profile elections that draw greater media attention, resources,
and engagement.
• Implement cost savings.
o Moving to even-year elections would reduce the general fund by
approximately $75,000 every other year (cost of the 2023 election was
$75,798 not including the recount expenditures), which aligns directly
with the goals of reducing tax burdens. In the previous report, the
$60,000 savings was an average cost of an election over the last six
odd-year election cycles.
Odd-Year Election Costs
Election Year Turnout Cost for Election Cost Per Vote
2023 19% $75,798.00* $36.66
2021 23% $64,593.10 $24.48
2019 14% $61,599.31 $40.33
2017 21% $56,903.83 $26.14
2015 11% $52,272.60 $49.26
2013 17% $50,493.79 $29.95
*The cost does not include expenses for the recount that was part of the election .
Odd Year Stats 2013-2023
Average Turnout 17.50%
Average Annual Cost $60,276.77
Average Cost Per Vote $34.47
Even-Year Election Costs
Election Year Turnout Cost for Election Cost Per Vote
2024 80% $84,811.20 $8.86
2022 68% $76,456.61 $10.44
2020 90% $69,128.28 $6.52
2018 79% $52,491.59 $6.21
2016 89% $61,079.87 $6.64
2014 57% $53,816.03 $9.82
Even Year Stats 2014-2024
Average Turnout 76.60%
Average Annual Cost $66,297.26
Average Cost Per Vote $8.35
o The city bears the full cost of running elections in the odd years , which
includes:
▪ Personnel Services from regular employees, overtime employees
and part-time employees (election judges)
▪ Other services and charges, not limited to:
• Office supplies and general supplies
• Postage
• Equipment programming, testing and maintenance
• Publications of required notices, sample ballot, etc.
• Logistics (U-Haul rental and related expenses)
• Delivery to and from polling locations
• Legal services
• Ballot programming, testing and printing
• Election judge training, scheduling , payroll and yearly
payroll required reporting
• Healthcare voting requirements
• Absentee voting requirements
• General liability insurance
• Post election procedures and audits
o Three out of the five polling locations are City facilities. Using the
Hopkins Activity Center and Hopkins Pavilion in 202 5 will result in $2,117
in facility rental loss. The Fire Station also serves as a polling location on
Election Day activities which poses challenges to its operations,
particularly regarding space, accessibility, and maintaining emergency
response readiness. Hopkins Public Works is also impacted as the work
with the City Clerk to coordinate the delivery before the election of
equipment, supplies, signage, voting booths to each polling location and
return of the same after the election. This effort also requires a U -Haul
rental vehicle and scheduling with polling locations.
o Moving Hopkins election cycle to even-years, allows staff share
resources and infrastructure with county, state and federal elections that
are already taking place.
o Allows the City Clerk Division to focus their work on other process
improvements, projects and strategic action goals of the city in odd
years. In addition to the coordination of elections, the City Clerk Division
is responsible for many other duties such as agenda management, city
code of ordinances and legislative policies, data practices and document
management, business permits and licensing including liquor licensing,
special event permits, front desk positions that offer external customer
services including inspections and information desk duties, accounts
receivable, accounts payable assistance, garden plot program, board
and commission recruitment, special assessment s, staffing at City
Council and Park Board meetings, human resources back -up and special
projects, fleet vehicle registrations and renewals, general office
management and provid ing administrative support to the Administration
Department, Inspections, City Council and City Manager.
• Streamline election administration.
o The prime benefit of moving our election to even years is the ability to
share resources and infrastructure with county, state and federal
elections. This includes using the same polling places, election judges,
ballots, publications, programming, testing, outreach, absentee voting
and health care voting hours, and equipment use. By combining these
elections, we will reduce costs and logistical complexity.
• Align election dates with county, state and federal elections
o Aligning Hopkins election with county, state, and federal elections
creates a more predictable and regular election cycle. V oters and
candidates alike can plan better, knowing that elections for all levels of
government will be held together. This consistency can help improve
participation and foster a more organized political environment.
o State legislature has discussed in past sessions uniformed election dates
and preemption of odd year elections .
o The city may prefer to be in control of the change in moving to even
years. There is no guarantee in what would happen to the current terms,
or the timing should the legislature act on this issue.
o The LMC has data for 855 self -reported cities on municipal elections
▪ 17 MN cities have odd-year elections
▪ 9 out of the 17 are home rule cities with odd year elections
o Bloomington o Lino Lakes o Rushford
o Duluth o Minneapolis o St. Louis Park
o Hopkins o Minnetonka o White Bear Lake
The advantages of higher participation and resource -sharing with county, state and
federal elections can make it a compelling option to save on costs, streamline
operations and eliminate voter fatigue. Aligning local elections with even -year elections
allows for a more efficient, cost -effective approach that benefits the taxpayers.
It is important to note that should this initiative move forward; the city will not meet the
deadlines to forego an odd -year election in 2025. The next municipal election will be
held on November 4, 2025. However, if the amendment is adopted, the Charter
Commission, city staff and attorneys will work together to develop the plan for how the
terms will be staggered once we are on the even -year cycle. It would be anticipated
that after the 2025 election, the first even year election where municipal races could
be on the ballot is either 2026 or 2028 depending upon further City Council action.
The Ordinance Amendment requires a 5 -0 City Council vote to move forward for a
second reading on February 4. If the Ordinance Amendment does not have a
unanimous vote, it will be sent back to the Charter Commission. The Charter
Commission will decide whether to place the proposed amendment on a future voting
ballot.
SUPPORTING INFORMATION
• Ordinance 2024-1219
CITY OF HOPKINS
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-1219
AMENDMENT OF THE HOPKINS CHARTER BY ORDINANCE
The City Council of the City of Hopkins, upon recommendation of and from the Hopkins
City Charter Commission does hereby ordain and thus amend and adopt the following
changes, deletions, and amendments of or from the following chapters and sections of
the Hopkins City Charter:
SECTION 1. Section 4.01 – Municipal Elections is amended by adding the underlined
language and deleting stricken material as follows:
Section 4.01. Municipal Elections. The regular election for the choice of the
elected officials of the city shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first
Monday in November in odd numbered years beginning in 1995. The city
manager shall give notice of all elections in the manner prescribed by state law
for cities of the same classification as this city, but failure to give such notice
shall not invalidate such election. The regular city election is held on the first
Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even numbered years. The
election is held at the place or places designated by resolution of the city council.
Notice of the election is given in the manner provided by law. Failure to give
notice of the election does not invalidate the election. The council may, by
resolution, order a special election on any question which it desires to submit to a
vote of the voters, fix the time for holding the same, and provide all means for
holding such special election. The procedure at such election shall conform as
nearly as possible to that herein provided for other municipal elections.
SECTION 2. The effective date of this ordinance shall be effective 90 days after
publication.
First Reading: January 21, 2025
Second Reading: February 4, 2025
Date of Publication: February 13, 2025
Date Ordinance Takes Effect: May 14, 2025
By_____________________
Patrick Hanlon, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________
Amy Domeier, City Clerk