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HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution No. 2026-087/ KENAI Sponsored by: CITY OF KENAI RESOLUTION NO. 2026-08 Askin, Sounart, Daniel, Kisena, Grieme, Pettey, Knackstedt A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED VOTERS OF THE CITY OF KENAI, AT THE SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON APRIL 14, 2026, THE QUESTION OF AMENDING KENAI MUNICIPAL CHARTER, SECTION 10-1 ANNUAL ELECTION - TIMES, TO SET THE FIXED DATE OF THE CITY'S ANNUAL GENERAL ELECTION IN 2026 AND THEREAFTER REMOVE THE FIXED DATE OF THE CITY'S ANNUAL GENERAL ELECTION AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY COUNCIL TO ESTABLISH THE ANNUAL GENERAL ELECTION DATE BY ORDINANCE. WHEREAS, at the October 7, 2025 Municipal Election, Borough Voters approved Kenai Peninsula Borough (KPB) Citizens Initiative Proposition No. 5; and, WHEREAS, KPB Proposition No. 5 moved the annual Borough election date from October to November to coincide with State and Federal annual elections date in an effort to increase Borough voter turnout; and, WHEREAS, although Proposition No. 5 did not alter the City of Kenai's election schedule, it was supported by 66.5% of the City voters who participated in the Borough election; and, WHEREAS, the City Council by Resolution No. 2026-06 has scheduled a Special Election on April 14, 2026, for the purpose of submitting to the eligible voters of the City, the question of aligning the annual election date of the City with the annual election date of the Kenai Peninsula Borough; and, WHEREAS, similar to Proposition No. 2026-A, Proposition No. 2026-B proposes to amend the City Charter in Section 10-1 to set the annual election date of the City's general election to the same date as the current annual elections of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and State of Alaska; and, WHEREAS, Proposition No. 2026-B also gives the City Council the ability to set subsequent annual City general election dates by Ordinance to negate the requirement for a charter amendment in the future if the City desired to change its annual general election date again; and, WHEREAS, Proposition No. 2026-B, is drafted to compliment Proposition No. 2026-A, and if both propositions pass they do not create a conflict in charter, or each Proposition could stand alone if only one is approved by the voters; and, WHEREAS, Special Elections are expensive, and often have a much lower voter turnout than regular elections; and, WHEREAS, removing the fixed date of the City's annual election from City Charter allows the greatest flexibility to adjust election timing without incurring costs of a Special Election in the future, providing the City Council the ability to align the election date with the Borough or State if their election dates were to change after 2026, or an Election Date change was in the City's best interest for any other reason. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA: Section 1. That the following proposition shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the City of Kenai at the April 14, 2026 Special Election in substantially the same form as set out hereafter: New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Resolution No. 2026-08 Page 2 of 3 PROPOSITION No. 2026 - B ANNUAL ELECTIONS - TIME. Setting the Fixed Date for the Annual City General Election in 2026, Removing the Fixed Election Date beginning in 2027 and Authorizing the Annual General Election Date to be Set by Municipal Ordinance thereafter. Shall Section 10-1, Annual Election - Times, of the Charter of the City of Kenai be amended to change the fixed date of the annual City General Election for 2026 to the same date as the current annual election date of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and State of Alaska and thereafter remove the fixed date of the annual City General Election from Charter and authorize the City Council to establish the annual election date by ordinance beginning in 2027. YES _ [A YES vote would amend the City Charter as described above.] NO _ [A NO vote would defeat the amendment described above.] Section 2. That following the April 14, 2026 Special Election, if the proposition substantially in the same form as set out above in Section 1 of this resolution is ratified by the voters, the following charter amendment would become effective: Section 10-1 Annual Election - Times, of the Charter of the City of Kenai There shall be no primary election, but only a general election, herein also called general election, for the election of a Mayor and other Councilmembers. [SUCH] The 2026 general election shall be held on the first Tuesday [IN OCTOBER] following the first Monday in November [OF EACH CALENDAR YEAR]. Thereafter, all future general election dates shall be set by ordinance. Section 3. That the following proposition summary shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the City of Kenai in substantially the same form as set out hereafter: Proposition No. 2026 - B: Charter Amendment Setting the Fixed Date for the Annual City General Election in 2026, Removing the Fixed Election Date beginning in 2027 and Authorizing the Annual General Election Date to be Set by Municipal Ordinance thereafter. Ballot Question: Shall Section 10-1, Annual Election - Times, of the Charter of the City of Kenai be amended to change the fixed date of the annual City General Election for 2026 to the same date as the current annual election date of the Kenai Peninsula Borough and State of Alaska and thereafter remove the fixed date of the annual City General Election from Charter and authorize the City Council to establish the annual election date by ordinance beginning in 2027. Proposed Charter Amendment: New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT, SMALL CAPS AND BRACKETED] Section 10-1 Annual Election - Times, of the Charter of the City of Kenai There shall be no primary election, but only a general election, herein also called general election, for the election of a Mayor and other Councilmembers. [SUCH] The 2026 qeneral election shall be held on the first Tuesday [IN OCTOBER] following the first Monday in November [OF EACH CALENDAR YEAR]. Thereafter, all future general election dates shall be set by ordinance YES - A YES vote would amend the Charter as described above. NO - A NO vote would defeat the amendment described above. Summary of Amendment: New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] Resolution No. 2026-08 Page 3 of 3 This amendment would set the date for the City's 2026 annual General Election to the first Tuesday following the first Monday in November, and delete from the City Charter the fixed date in which future annual City elections must be held. If approved, this Charter amendment would authorize the City Council after the 2026 annual General Election to set the date of the annual City General Election in the City's Municipal Code. Any future change to the annual election date, such as alignment with the Kenai Peninsula Borough or State of Alaska election, could then be made by ordinance without requiring additional charter amendments or the need for calling a Special Election. Section 4. That this Resolution takes effect immediately upon passage. PASSED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF KENAI, ALASKA, TZ2`AY OF J UA � 2026. i H ry . Knack y \AAN A - Michelle Sane C, City Clerk New Text Underlined; [DELETED TEXT BRACKETED] ■ _._I -, i�enai 210 �icial5 Ave, I'Cenai, AK 99611-7794 907.283.7535 wwW.�Cenai.city MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Knackstedt and Council Members FROM: Shellie Saner, City Clerk DATE: January 14, 2026 SUBJECT: Resolution No. 2026-08 - Providing for Submission to the Qualified Voters of the City of Kenai, at the Special Election to be Held on April 14, 2026, the Question of Amending Kenai Municipal Charter, Section 10-1 Annual Election - Times, to Set the Fixed Date of the City's Annual General Election in 2026 and thereafter Remove the Fixed Date of the City's Annual General Election and Authorize the City Council to Establish the Annual General Election Date by Ordinance. City Council Resolution No. 2026-06 scheduled a Special Election for April 14, 2026, for the purpose of asking the Voters if they would like to amend the date of the City's annual election. Proposition No. 2026-B proposes to move the annual election date in 2026 and thereafter allow the annual election date to be established by Ordinance. Section Analysis: Section 1 - establishes the proposed proposition format, setting the proposition title in a format which lets the voters know the subject of the proposition. Section 2 - identifies the specific change which will take place within Kenai Municipal Charter if the proposition is approved by the voters. Section 3 - proposes the proposition summary, which is the brief explanation of the proposition and what would occur if the proposition were approved. The difference between Propositions A and B, is that while both set the time at least for the 2026 election to a date certain, unlike Proposition A, Proposition B, removes the date certain from Charter beginning in 2027 to allow Council to make any future changes to the annual general election date by ordinance. For example if the Borough decided to change its election date again after two years, the City Council could change the City's date again to match the Borough's without having to potentially have another special election to amend its Charter.