Question 17: Civic Participation

Official ballot wording

Should quorum and board action be based on the majority of members eligible to vote, excluding vacancies and non-voting members?

Official explanation

Present situation: A majority of all members to which the board or commission is entitled constitutes a quorum, unless specified in the law or ordinance creating the board or commission or in any other law or ordinance. The Charter also currently requires a majority of the entire membership to take any action, and the entire membership has been interpreted to include vacancies and members who are not eligible to vote. As a result, some boards and commissions with vacancies and nonvoting members have been unable to take official action despite having enough members present to conduct a meeting. If proposal passes: The amendment would clarify that vacancies and non-voting members are excluded when determining whether a quorum is present and that, once a quorum has been established, official actions may be approved by a majority of the members present and voting, unless state law or the Charter itself requires a higher voting threshold. Neighborhood Boards, which are elected positions, would not be affected by this change.

This explanation is attributed to the linked official source.

Originating legislation or resolution

P003 ↗

Officials' votes to refer a proposal and the public's election vote on the question are separate records. A linked proposal alone does not establish approval by voters.

Public election results

No public election result has been imported for this question.