Voters cast their ballots for the 2024 California primary election at Pasadena Presbyterian Church in Pasadena on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)

The Pasadena City Council on Monday, July 29, approved several significant ballot measures for the upcoming November election.

Despite some hiccups and disagreements during a special meeting, the panel approved a general obligation bond measure to retrofit the community’s beloved Central Library and charter amendments to establish term limits and restrict changes to campaign contribution limits.

The second reading of the $195 million library bond was approved with a vote of 6-2, with Councilmembers Jason Lyon and Jessica Rivas voting no. If voters say yes in November, the bond will fund the restoration and upgrade of the 97-year-old Central Library, which has been closed since May 2021 due to an assessment that found its structure posed a significant earthquake risk.

Repaying this bond would cost around $12 million per year, translating to an average tax of $28.90 per $100,000 of assessed property valuation for property owners for 30 years. The funds will cover earthquake repairs, fire safety improvements, a new roof, asbestos and lead paint removal, technology and mechanical system upgrades, as well as restoration of services.

The city received 17 letters in support of the restoration, City Clerk Mark Jomsky said. The majority of public comments also favored the bond measure, with four speakers supporting and one opposing it.

The City Council also agreed to submit three charter amendment ballot measures to Pasadena voters.

The first amendment mandates a special election for council district vacancies if two or more years remain on the unexpired term. If the council fails to appoint a replacement for a term of less than two years remaining within 75 days, it would also require a special election. In addition, the amendment would establish a 30-day residency requirement for those seeking appointment and restrict changes to campaign contribution limits.

The first amendment was approved with 5-2 votes, with Mayor Victor Gordo and Councilmember Steve Madison voting no. Councilmember Tyron Hampton was absent in the second half of the meeting, where discussion focused on the charter amendments.

The residency requirement for council appointees was revised from six months to 30 days, because staff found that a six-month requirement could face legal challenges, while a 30-day requirement was more likely to be upheld by courts.

The campaign contribution limit would be established by an approved ordinance, which was based on recommendations by the Charter Study Task Force. It would cap contributions to City Council candidates at $1,000 per individual and entity per election. For mayoral candidates, the limit would be $2,500. The current limit is $5,500 for all races.

This amendment would change the City Charter to ensure that any rules about campaign contribution limits can only be changed after two election cycles have passed. This means the rules would stay the same for at least two rounds of elections before any changes can be made.

The second amendment would require an annual election for the vice mayor at the City Council’s organizational meeting, which takes place every December.

It would also limit the vice mayor’s term to one-year and create an acting mayor position to fill in during a mayoral vacancy, with the acting mayor to be chosen from the remaining Council members.

This amendment was approved unanimously.

The City Council had the most disagreements over the last amendment, which limits individuals to a maximum of five terms in the same elected office. This amendment specifies that council members and mayors could serve no more than three consecutive terms, followed by a minimum four-year hiatus, after which they can serve up to two additional terms.

Madison argued that the language is too complex.

“I think this is really complex to have all three, and then four off, and what about if you’re appointed? It’s just really complicated,” he said.

Gordo reiterated that this is “a solution in search of a problem.”

“I don’t see this impacting those of us who serve on the Council,” he said. “It’s the future Councilmembers. It’s the people who may want to serve in the future and who residents may want to support serving in the future.”

But both Rivas and Lyon recommended going with the task force’s recommendation, saying it’s not convenient to change the task force’s recommendations on the fly.

This amendment passed with a vote of 5–2, with Gordo and Justin Jones voting no.