SECTIONS 34900-34906

34900.  At any general municipal election, or at a special electionheld for that purpose, the city council may submit to the electorsthe question of whether electors shall thereafter elect a mayor andfour city council members, and whether the mayor shall serve atwo-year or four-year term. In cities presently having electedmayors, the city council may also submit to the electors the questionof whether the mayor shall thereafter serve a two-year or afour-year term.34901.  The questions shall be printed on the ballots used at theelection in substantially the following form: "Shall the electors elect a mayor and four city council members " "Shall the term of office of mayor be two years " "Shall the term of office of mayor be four years " The words "Yes" and "No" and "two years" and "four years" shall beso printed on the ballots that the voters may express their choice.The term of office of mayor shall be that preferred by a majority ofthose voting on the proposition.34902.  (a) If a majority of the votes cast on the proposition isfor it, the office of mayor shall thereafter be an elective office,except as provided in subdivision (b). At the next succeeding generalmunicipal election held in the city, one of the offices of citycouncilperson, to be filled at the election, shall be designated asthe office of mayor, to be filled at the election. The person electedat the election as mayor shall hold office from the Tuesdaysucceeding his or her election, and until his or her successor iselected and qualifies. In the case of a vacancy in the office of the mayor for anyreason, the council shall fill the vacancy by appointment. If thecouncil fails to fill it within 60 days, it shall call an election tofill the vacancy to be held on the next established election date tobe held not less than 114 days thereafter. A person appointed orelected to fill a vacancy shall hold office for the unexpired term ofthe former incumbent. (b) After an office of elective mayor has been established, thecity council may subsequently submit to the electors the question ofwhether or not to eliminate the elective office of mayor, pursuant tothe procedures enumerated in this article, and thereby reestablishthe procedure of selection of the mayor by the city council. If amajority of the votes cast on the proposition are in favor of theelimination of the office of elective mayor, the office shall beeliminated on the expiration date of the incumbent's term, and on thedate the procedure of selection of the mayor by the city councilshall be reestablished.34903.  The mayor is a member of the city council and has all of thepowers and duties of a member of the city council.34904.  A person is not eligible to hold office as mayor unless heor she is at the time of assuming that office an elector of the city,and was a registered voter of the city at the time nomination papersare issued to the candidate as provided for in Section 10227 of theElections Code.34905.  A mayor pro tempore shall be chosen in the manner providedby Section 36801.34906.  Notwithstanding Section 36503, if a city has an electedmayor and the election of the remaining members of the city councilfor four-year terms is not evenly staggered, the city council may, ona one-time basis only and prior to the first day for circulatingnomination papers for the general municipal election, designate oneof the city council offices appearing on the general municipalballot, other than the office of the mayor, to serve a two-year term,or may provide that of the city council offices appearing on thegeneral municipal ballot, other than the office of the mayor, the onewhich receives the least votes of those elected (or if there is atie for such a position, as decided by lot) shall serve a two-yearterm. At all subsequent general municipal elections, each member ofthe city council elected at such election, other than the mayor ifthe mayor has a two-year term, shall be elected to serve a four-yearterm.