CHARTER ORDINANCE NO. 226

A CHARTER ORDINANCE EXEMPTING THE CITY OF WICHITA, KANSAS, FROM THE PROVISIONS OF K.S.A. 12-1008 PROVIDING SUBSTITUTE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS PROVIDING FOR SALARIES OF CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR OF THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF WICHITA AND ESTABLISHING TERMS FOR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND MAYOR AND REPEALING CHARTER ORDINANCES 43, 130, 140, 148, 179, 187, 188 AND 208 IN THEIR ENTIRETY AND REPEALING SECTIONS 2, 4 AND 5 OF CHARTER ORDINANCE 112.

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF WICHITA, KANSAS:

"The City of Wichita, Kansas, by virtue of the power vested in it by Article 12, Section 5 of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, hereby elects to exempt itself and hereby makes inapplicable to it, K.S.A. 12-1008, which section applies only to cities of the first class having a population of more than 150,000 operating under the commission-manager form of government and provide substitute and additional provisions as follows:"

SECTION 1. is hereby created to read as follows:

"Compensation for City Council Members. From and after January 1, 2016, the total salary and compensation of City Council members of the City of Wichita shall be established at $40,000. Such wages shall be adjusted annually on or before July 1st by the amount equivalent to the yearly general pay adjustment granted to city employees, approved by the City Council, plus an automobile allowance as authorized by City Council policy."

SECTION 2. is hereby created to read as follows:

"Compensation for Mayor. From and after January 1, 2016, the total salary and compensation of the Mayor of the City of Wichita shall be established at $90,000. Such wage shall be adjusted annually on or before July 1st by an amount equivalent to the yearly general pay adjustment granted to city employees, approved by the City Council, plus an automobile allowance as authorized by City Council policy."

SECTION 3. is hereby created to read as follows:

"The salaries shall be payable in bi-weekly installments."

SECTION 4. is hereby created to read as follows:

"Bonds for Council Members. The Council members shall be bonded in the amount of $20,000 each, which may be included under the blanket bond of the City of Wichita covering all employees."

SECTION 5. is hereby created to read as follows:

"Social Security Coverage. In lieu of mandatory Social Security coverage which would otherwise be required by Section 11332 of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1990, an additional sum may be contributed to the City of Wichita Deferred Compensation Program on behalf of each member of the City Council. The sum so contributed shall be considered compensation under the applicable Internal Revenue Regulations in order to permit its deferral into the program."

SECTION 6. Section 2 of Charter Ordinance 112 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"Eligibility. Any person desiring to become a candidate for City Council member shall file with the City Clerk before the filing deadline a statement of such candidacy on a form furnished by the City Clerk. The City Clerk shall record the same and transmit it, together with the filing fee or petition, within three business days to the Sedgwick County Election Commissioner.

Each such filing shall be accompanied by a filing fee of fifty dollars or, in lieu of such filing fee, by a petition signed by one hundred (100) qualified electors of the council district for which the petition is filed."

SECTION 7. Section 4 of Charter Ordinance 112 is hereby amended to read as follows:

"The timing of City primary and general elections shall be governed by the provisions of K.S.A. 25-2102 et seq. and amendments thereto. General and Primary elections will be conducted in the manner prescribed by applicable Charter Ordinances and state law.

City elections shall be nonpartisan."

SECTION 8. is hereby created to read as follows:

"Term of Office. Council members shall be elected for a four-year term and until successors have been duly elected and qualified. Council members whose terms expire in April of 2017 or April of 2019 shall continue to serve until their successor is duly elected and qualified following the election held on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November in 2017 and 2019 respectively. The term of office for each newly elected Council member shall commence on the second Monday in January following the election. No Council member shall serve more than two full consecutive terms."

SECTION 9. is hereby created to read as follows:

"Mayor′s Term of Office. The Mayor shall be elected for a four-year term and until a successor has been duly elected and qualified. The Mayor whose term expires in April of 2019 shall continue to serve until his successor is duly elected and qualified following the election held on the Tuesday following the first Monday of November in 2019. The term of office for such newly elected Mayor shall commence on the second Monday of January following the election. No Mayor shall serve more than two full consecutive terms."

SECTION 10. Charter Ordinances 43, 130, 140, 148, 179, 187, 188 and 208 are hereby repealed in their entirety.

SECTION 11. Sections 2, 4 and 5 of Charter Ordinance 112 are hereby repealed.

SECTION 12. This ordinance shall be published once each week for two consecutive weeks in the official newspaper.

SECTION 13. This is a Charter Ordinance and will take effect sixty-one (61) days after final publication unless a sufficient petition for a referendum is filed and a referendum held on this Ordinance as provided in Article 12, Section 5, Subsection (c)(3) of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, in which case, this Charter Ordinance shall become effective if approved by a majority of the electors voting thereon.

PASSED by the governing body, not less than two-thirds of the members elect voting in favor thereof this 8th day of December, 2015.

/s/ Jeff Longwell,       Mayor

ATTEST:

/s/ Karen Sublett,       City Clerk

Approved as to Form:

/s/ Jennifer Magaña

\Director of Law