V.3. First Reading Ordinance Amending Chapter 4 of the Hopkins Charter (Candidate Filing); Domeier
CITY OF HOPKINS
City Council Report 2025-010
To: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
Mike Mornson, City Manager
From: Amy Domeier, City Clerk
Date: January 21, 2025
Subject: Ordinance No. 2025-1220 Amendment of the Hopkins Charter by
Ordinance
_____________________________________________________________________
RECOMMENDED ACTION
MOTION TO Approve for First Reading Ordinance 2025-1220 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
the candidate filing language to align with the process and dates outlined in state
statute.
The proposed amendment is based on the following:
• Current Minnesota law states that the candidate filing period for cities without a
Primary Election opens 98 days before election and closes 84 days before
election. The municipal clerk's office must be open for filing from 1 -5 p.m. on
the last day of the filing period.
o The ordinance amendment change would align with state law by making
the following amendment:
Section 4.02. Candidates. A candidate for a city office shall file an
affidavit not more than 70 days and not less than 56 days before the
municipal general election with the city clerk, or application on behalf
of any qualified voter of the city whom they desire to be a candidate
may be made as per state law. In either case, The filing fee shall be
$25.00. Such affidavit or application shall state that the candidate is
a qualified voter of the city, and name the office for which he is a
candidate. Any candidate may withdraw not later than 12:00 noon of
Administration
the day following the last day for filing by filing a notice of withdrawal
with the city clerk. An eligible voter of the city may file for election in
the manner prescribed by law.
• Minnesota laws governing elections apply uniformly across all cities, counties,
and districts. If a city charter has different deadlines than the state statute, it
could lead to confusion or even legal challenges. Having matching deadlines
ensures that the city's election practices are legally compliant with state
regulations, avoiding potential disputes or violations of state law.
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 2025-1220
CITY OF HOPKINS
HENNEPIN COUNTY, MINNESOTA
ORDINANCE NO. 2025-1220
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 4.02 – Candidates is amended by adding the underlined
language and deleting stricken material as follows:
Section 4.02. Candidates. A candidate for a city office shall file an affidavit not
more than 70 days and not less than 56 days before the municipal general
election with the city clerk, or application on behalf of any qualified voter of the
city whom they desire to be a candidate may be made as per state law. In
either case, The filing fee shall be $25.00. Such affidavit or application shall
state that the candidate is a qualified voter of the city, and name the office for
which he is a candidate. Any candidate may withdraw not later than 12:00
noon of the day following the last day for filing by filing a notice of withdrawal
with the city clerk. An eligible voter of the city may file for election in the manner
prescribed by law.
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