Voting on motions, resolutions and ordinances in Watsonville

Four votes are required to approve an ordinance or resolution. WMC 2-1.208 Council action must be in the form of either motions, resolutions, or ordinances. WMC Sec. 2-1.201

Motions shall be used to express the Council’s decisions on routine questions or matters of temporary importance or to refer matters to the staff and shall be moved, seconded, and adopted by a voice vote, unless a roll call is requested by a Council member. Motions shall not be used for appropriation or expenditure of funds. Resolutions shall be used to express administrative decisions of the Council of a permanent or lasting nature and shall be introduced, seconded, and adopted by a roll call vote.

Resolutions shall be used to adopt the budget after the publication required by Section 1104 of the Charter. The Council may by resolution amend or supplement the adopted budget by transferring unused balances appropriated for one purpose to another, or by appropriating available revenue not yet appropriated in the budget.

Ordinances shall be used to adopt legislative formal policy, laws in exercise of the police power, and in other instances required by law or the Charter of the City.

Crtain provisions of the Government Code Section 54957.1 of the Brown Act requires certain actions to be reported out of closed session and depending on the nature of the vote, the actual for and nay votes and abstentions and presumably the nature of the abstention unless it was already reported before entering closed session.

When two thirds vote is required:

WMC 2-1.113 Procedural rules of order. Subdivision (a)(3) Limit or extend limits of debate. Any Council member may move to put limits on the length of debate. The motion shall be made and seconded and shall require a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the full Council to pass.

2-1.104 Prohibited action. The Council shall be prohibited from taking any action on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, unless:

(a) The Council determines by majority vote that an emergency situation exists. Each newspaper and radio or television station which is entitled to special notice shall be notified of such emergency meeting at least one hour before such meeting. No closed session shall be held during an emergency meeting. All special meeting requirements shall otherwise be applicable to an emergency meeting;

(b) The Council determines by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the full Council, or, if less than two-thirds (2/3) (five (5) Council members) are present, then by unanimous vote of the Council members present, that the need to take action on the item arose subsequent to the posting of the agenda; or

Advertisement

---