UPDATE:
Election results posted through the Oklahoma State Election Board on the evening of 8/23/22, with all precincts reporting, indicated the following:
- Proposition 1: Pertains to increasing annual stipends for municipal officials and providing for a Compensation Commission to be appointed.
- FAILED with 57% opposed to the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,837
- Proposition 2: Pertains to extending councilmember terms; changing the starting date of the term of office for elected officials of the City of Norman; and changing residency requirements for those seeking City of Norman office with certain exceptions.
- FAILED with 56% opposed to the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,825
- Proposition 3: Pertains to clarifying the way that City Council vacancies are filled and the serving commitment of those filling such vacancies.
- PASSED with 60% in favor of the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,695
- Proposition 4: Pertains to the creation of the position of a Municipal Auditor.
- PASSED with 56% in favor of the proposition. Total Votes Cast =14,725
- Proposition 5: Pertains to changing the hiring and managing authority of the City Attorney from the City Manager to the City Council and details associated procedures.
- PASSED with 53% in favor of the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,095
- Proposition 6: Pertains to additions and new stipulations for board members of the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board.
- PASSED with 62% in favor of the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,083
- Proposition 7: Pertains to amending the recall process and associated items for municipal officials.
- PASSED with 60% in favor of the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,029
- Proposition 8: Pertains to amending the process to set utility rates in Norman and the appointment of a Utility Rate Commission.
- FAILED with 71% opposed to the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 14,109
- Proposition 9: Pertains to modifying deadline and processes for the Reapportionment Ad Hoc Committee and limits associated Council action concerning the committee’s recommendations.
- PASSED with 55% in favor of the proposition. Total Votes Cast = 13,980
Note the above percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
A citizen-led Charter Review Commission was appointed in Summer 2019 to begin a review process of the City of Norman Charter. A Charter is a document that defines the organization, powers, functions and essential procedures of a city government.
Upon thorough review, several recommendations were adopted and received final approval to appear on a 8/23/22 ballot for voters by Norman City Council in May 2022. A total of nine propositions are listed below.
PLEASE NOTE that the City of Norman special election on 8/23/22 coincides with other elections, such as the primary runoff elections for state positions. View sample ballots to be best prepared at https://okvoterportal.okelections.us/. View a mailer distributed to all residents regarding the special municipal election by clicking here.
Click here to access and download a 2-sheet of full ballot propositions
Click here to view Ordinance O-2122-45
IMPORTANT DATES:
7/29/22: Deadline to register to vote in the election.
8/8/22: Deadline to request an absentee ballot.
8/18 - 8/20/22: Early voting takes place.
8/23/22: Election Day.
Contact the Cleveland County Election Board for more information about voting: https://www.clevelandcountyelectionboard.com/
NOTE: August 23, 2022, is also a Runoff Primary Election date for which voters may cast additional, non-municipal ballots. Voters are advised to visit https://okvoterportal.okelections.us/ to review all items they may be asked to vote on prior to this election date.
Full Propositions
Proposition 1: Pertains to increasing annual stipends for municipal officials and providing for a Compensation Commission to be appointed.
Shall Section 1 of Article II of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to increase the annual stipend for the Mayor from a maximum of $1,200 to $8,100 beginning in 2025 and for Councilmembers from a maximum of $1,200 to $5,400 beginning in 2025 and providing for a Compensation Commission to be appointed to determine any future increases every three years based on the consumer price index, the City’s budget, and other relevant factors, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 2: Pertains to extending councilmember terms; changing the starting date of the term of office for elected officials of the City of Norman; and changing residency requirements for those seeking City of Norman office with certain exceptions.
Shall Sections 2, 5, 6 and 14 of Article II of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to increase Councilmember terms from two to three years beginning with terms in 2026; to change the beginning of Councilmember and Mayoral terms from the first Tuesday of July to the first Tuesday following scheduled run-off elections beginning in 2026 for the Councilmember positions and 2028 for the Mayor position; and to require those seeking election to a Councilmember position to be residents of the ward for which they seek office for six months; and providing exceptions when ward boundaries are changed, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 3: Pertains to clarifying the way that City Council vacancies are filled and the serving commitment of those filling such vacancies.
Shall Section 22 of Article II of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to clarify that vacancies on City Council that are filled by majority vote of the City Council are filled for the balance of the unexpired term of the vacant position, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 4: Pertains to the creation of the position of a Municipal Auditor.
Shall Article V be added, and subsequent Articles be renumbered accordingly, to the Charter of the City of Norman to create the position of Municipal Auditor to be appointed by the City Council by at least an affirmative vote of five members; to establish the City Auditor’s employment status as an at-will employee; to provide a process for an interim City Auditor to be appointed in case of the absence or disability of the City Auditor; to provide a process for Councilmembers to request discussion and/or consideration of the removal or suspension of the City Auditor to be placed on the agenda of a regularly or specially scheduled meeting; and to describe the duties of the City Auditor, as more particularly described in Ordinance No. O-2122-45?
Proposition 5: Pertains to changing the hiring and managing authority of the City Attorney from the City Manager to the City Council and details associated procedures.
Shall Section 2 of Article VII of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to change the City Attorney to an at-will employee hired by majority vote of the City Council instead of hired by the City Manager and confirmed by City Council; to provide a process for an interim City Attorney to be appointed in case of the absence or disability of the City Attorney; to provide a process for Councilmembers to request discussion and/or consideration of the removal or suspension of the City Attorney to be placed on the agenda of a regularly or specially scheduled meetings, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 6: Pertains to additions and new stipulations for board members of the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board.
Shall Section 1 of Article IX of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to increase the number of board members for the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board from nine to eleven and allowing for a maximum of two board members to be appointed from other communities in which Norman Regional Hospital Authority operates at least one facility, as more particularly describe in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 7: Pertains to amending the recall process and associated items for municipal officials.
Shall Sections 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 of Article XIII of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to set forth a timeframe in which an elected municipal official can be recalled, amends procedures to be consistent with State law, to provide additional time for review of recall petitions when a recall petition for Mayor or multiple petitions are undergoing inspection concurrently, to provide for a majority vote or remaining Councilmembers to take any action if there are more than four vacancies on Council as a result of a recall election, and to require City Council to call an election to fill any vacancy created by a successful recall for the next available election date, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 8: Pertains to amending the process to set utility rates in Norman and the appointment of a Utility Rate Commission.
Shall Section 2 of Article XVI of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to allow utility rate increases of no more than three percent to be adopted by City Council rather than by submittal to the registered voters of Norman, but only after a rate study and review by an appointed Utility Rate Commission having a representative appointed from each ward and one at-large, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?
Proposition 9: Pertains to modifying deadline and processes for the Reapportionment Ad Hoc Committee and limits associated Council action concerning the committee’s recommendations.
Shall Sections 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Article XX of the Charter of the City of Norman be amended to modify the deadlines and process for the Reapportionment Ad Hoc Committee to review census data and reapportion wards to be more similar to the State’s timeline for modifying precinct boundaries, and to limit Council action on the recommendations of the Reapportionment Ad Hoc Committee to either 1) adopt proposed ward boundaries without modification, 2) reject proposed boundaries, or 3) refer the proposed boundaries back to the Committee for further consideration, as more particularly described in Ordinance O-2122-45?