HB404 Alabama 2010 Session

Under existing law, a Class 6 municipality may opt to adopt a council-manager form of government that provides for a five-member council with the mayor and one council member elected at large and the remaining three council members elected from districts. This change must be initiated by petition of qualified electors and requires a referendum. At various times, existing law has provided alternate methods of limited duration for adopting a council-manager form of government in Class 6 municipalities. One alternate method provided a one-time provision in 1983 for an election in certain Class 6 municipalities to convert to a council-manager form of government that did not have to be initiated by petition of qualified electors. This alternate method provided for a nine-member council consisting of a mayor elected at large and eight council members elected from four dual-member districts. Another alternate method provided for a council initiated change, required a referendum, and provided for a mayor elected at large and seven council members elected by districts. This change had to be approved at a referendum held between October 1991 and March 1992

This bill would provide an additional method by which a Class 6 municipality could convert to a council-manager form of government. This bill would authorize the governing body of a Class municipality, by resolution and without the requirement of a petition, to call an election on the adoption of a council-manager form of government with a five-member council consisting of a mayor and four council members elected at large

This bill would provide a specific time period in which a municipality could call an election on the adoption of a council-manager form of government using this method. This bill would provide a specific time for the term of office of the council in municipalities electing to adopt this alternate method of conversation

To amend Sections 11-43A-3.1, 11-43A-3.2, 11-43A-7, 11-43A-8, 1143A-9, 11-43A-14, 11-43A-16, 11-43A-18, and 11-43A-32, Code of Alabama 1975; to provide an alternate method for adopting a council-manager form of government in certain Class 6 municipalities; to provide for a five-member council with a mayor and four council members elected at large; to provide that the council of certain Class municipalities, by resolution and without petition, could call for an election on the adoption of a council-manager form of government using the alternate method; to provide a limited period of time in which the alternate method may be used; and to provide for the term of office of the council.