Charter

ADDENDUM Revised 3/12

The City of Rio Rancho was incorporated in 1981.

The Charter of the City of Rio Rancho was adopted by the voters at the Regular Municipal Election held on March 3, 1992.

At a Special Election, held in conjunction with the Regular Municipal Election on March 5, 1996, fifteen amendments were adopted . The amendments were submitted to the voters of the City of Rio Rancho, upon recommendations made by a Charter Review Committee and the Governing Body. The amendments modified Articles I, II, IV, V, VII, and IX, as indicated in the parenthetical statements following the appropriate sections.

At a Special Election, held in conjunction with the Regular Municipal Election on March 5, 2002, two amendments were adopted . The amendments were submitted to the voters of the City of Rio Rancho, upon recommendations made by a Charter Review Committee and the Governing Body. The amendments modified Articles VI and VII, as indicated in the parenthetical statements following the appropriate sections.

At a Special Election, held in conjunction with the Regular Municipal Election on March 7, 2006, six amendments were adopted. The amendments were submitted to the voters of the City of Rio Rancho, upon recommendations made by a Charter Review Committee and the Governing Body. The amendments modified Articles I, II, III, V, VI, VII and VIII, as indicated in the parenthetical statements following the appropriate sections.

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Jim Owen, Mayor

Attest:

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Tina Gonzales, City Clerk

AMENDMENTS ADOPTED AT THE MARCH 6, 1996 SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION


Section 1.03.	Intergovernmental Relations.
Proposition 1, granted the City the specific right to negotiate with and enter into agreements with Native American governments and their agencies.
Section 1.07.	Charter Review and Amendment.
Proposition 2, provided another mechanism for amending the Charter.
Section 2.02.	Election; Terms.
Proposition 3, eliminated the residency requirement for the mayor and city councilors in accordance with state law.
Section 2.05.	Vacancies; Forfeiture of Office.
Proposition 4, separated the vacancy provisions for the mayor and City Council into separate sections and provided that a councilor shall forfeit his or her office if he or she moves out of the district from which elected.
Section 4.02.	Qualifications.
Proposition 5, removed the residency requirement for a municipal judge in accordance with state law.
Section 5.09.	Utilities Commission.
Proposition 6, created a seven-member Utilities Commission with membership representing each council district and one at-large member.
Section 5.10.	Parks and Recreation Commission.
Proposition 7, created a seven-member Parks and Recreation Commission with membership representing each council district and one at-large member.
Section 7.02.	Initiative and Referendum.
Proposition 8, clarified who is eligible to sign a petition and the number of signatures required. Proposition 9, provided for an attorney to review and report on the constitutionality of initiated legislation before submission to the Governing Body. Proposition 10, adopted the provision that if the Governing Body refuses to adopt or enact any constitutional and legally proposed initiated legislation, any interested person could seek recourse in District Court and, if successful, the person’s attorney fees will be paid. Proposition 11, clarified who is eligible to sign a petition and the number of signatures required.
Section 7.03.	Recall.
Proposition 12, separated recall provisions for mayor and councilor. Clarified that petitions for recall of councilors may only be signed by people from the same district the councilor represents.
Section 7.03.	Recall.
Proposition 13, clarified that voting eligibility for recall is only in the district the councilor sought to be recalled represents.
Section 9.01.	Charter Revision; Effective Date.
Proposition 14 deleted outdated information and made any adopted charter amendments effective March 15, 1996
Section 9.04,	Salary
Proposition 15, deleted Section 9.04, a redundant provision.

AMENDMENTS ADOPTED AT THE MARCH 5, 2002 SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION.


Section 6.11,	Independent Audit
Proposition 16, provides that the independent auditor for the City shall be chosen under the provisions of the City’s Procurement Code, rather than using the provisions of State Procurement Code.
Section 7.03,	Recall
Proposition 17 added additional requirements to initiate and force a recall election.

AMENDMENTS ADOPTED AT THE MARCH 7, 2006 SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION.


Section 1.07,	Charter Review and Amendment
Proposition 18 provides for a thorough review of the Charter every five years, rather than every ten years.
Section 2.10,	Action Requiring an Ordinance
Proposition 19 provides that the City Manager may create, change, and eliminate city departments, divisions, agencies, etc., as long as the Governing Body approves of that action in an ordinance, rather than limiting that authority to create, change, and eliminate city departments to the Governing Body through enactment of an ordinance.
Section 3.01,	Mayor
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 3.02,	Power of Appointment; Process
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 3.04,	City Manager; Appointment; Qualifications; Compensation
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 3.05,	Suspension; Removal
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 3.06,	Acting City Manager
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 3.07,	Powers and Duties of the City Manager
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager. Proposition 22 makes the City Manager responsible for initiating his annual review by providing a self-assessment to the Governing Body.
Section 5.01,	Departments; Creation; Supervision
Proposition 19 provides that the City Manager may create, change, and eliminate city departments, divisions, agencies, etc., as long as the Governing Body approves of that action in an ordinance, rather than limiting that authority to create, change, and eliminate city departments to the Governing Body through enactment of an ordinance. Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 5.02,	Department Directors; Hiring
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 5.03,	Department Directors; Discipline; Termination
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 5.04,	Personnel System
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 5.05,	City Attorney
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 5.06,	City Clerk
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 5.07,	Boards and Commissions; Advisory Bodies
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 6.02,	Recommended Budget and Message; Recommended Capital Program
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 6.03,	Contents
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 6.04,	Review by Mayor; Submission to Governing Body
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 6.07,	Amendments After Adoption
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 6.10,	Prohibition of Overspending of Appropriations
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager.
Section 7.01,	City Elections
Proposition 25 requires a majority vote for all elective city offices and requires the Governing Body to enact an ordinance setting out the rules for run-off elections when no candidate gets a majority of the votes and for those instances where a tie vote occurs.
Section 8.01,	Conflict of Interest
Proposition 20 changes the title of the City Administrator to City Manager. Proposition 26 requires the Governing Body to enact a new ordinance providing rules and fines for enforcement of the conflict of interest rules for elected officials and a new ordinance providing rules for enforcement of the conflict of interest rules for city employees.

AMENDMENTS ADOPTED AT THE MARCH 6, 2012 SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION. Added 3/12


Section 3.01,	Mayor
Proposition 27 requires the Mayor to devote his/her full time to the duties of the office, and sets forth new Mayoral duties and responsibilities.
Section 3.05,	Suspension; Removal
Proposition 28 allows a motion to remove the City Manager to be seconded by the mayor, if he/she so chooses.
Section 3.07,	Powers and Duties of the City Manager
Proposition 29 sets forth new duties for the City Manager and clarifies existing duties.
Section 5.03,	Department Directors; Discipline; Termination
Proposition 30 sets forth a grammatical change to existing language and makes no substantive change to existing procedure.
Section 5.07,	Boards and Commissions; Advisory Bodies
Proposition 31 adds clarifying language to make it clear that the existing provisions do not apply to internal boards or committees that consist solely of appointive officers or employees, which may be created from time to time in order to carry out their assigned duties.
Section 5.09,	Utilities Commission
Proposition 32 removes the Utilities Commission completely from the City Charter. The Utilities Commission will continue to exist through a previously adopted ordinance.
Section 5.10,	Parks and Recreation Commission
Proposition 33 removes the Parks and Recreation Commission completely from the City Charter. The Parks and Recreation Commission will continue to exist through a previously adopted ordinance.
Section 7.01,	City Elections
Proposition 34 requires the Governing Body to prepare and adopt an ordinance which requires voters to furnish photo identification at the time a vote is cast at the polling location.
Section 7.03,	Recall
Proposition 35 provides that the required number of signatures by registered voters on an intention to file a petition will increase from ten to 50.