Chapter III - Form of Government

Section 1. Where Powers Vested.

Except as this Charter provides otherwise, all powers of the city shall be vested in the Council.

Section 2. Council.

The Council shall be composed of 8 Council Members elected from the city at large on a nonpartisan ballot.

Section 3. Wards Established.

The City of Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon, is hereby divided into 4 wards, designated and bounded as follows:

• Ward No. 1 shall consist of all that portion of the City lying north of the center line of Bridge Street and 'M' Street and west of the center line of Sixth Street extended north under Interstate 5 and following Scoville Road.
• Ward No. 2 shall consist of all that portion of the City lying north of the Rogue River and east of the center line of Sixth Street extended north of Interstate 5 and following Scoville Road.
• Ward No. 3 shall consist of all that portion of the City lying south of the Rogue River and southeast of a line formed by connecting the center line of 6th Street from the Rogue River to Highway 199 and the center line of Highway 199 from their intersection to the southwest.
• Ward No. 4 shall consist of all that portion of the City lying south of the center line of Bridge Street and 'M' Street, north of the center line of Highway 199, and west of the center line of Sixth Street.

The boundaries of the ward lines as herein prescribed may hereafter be changed by ordinance. (Boundaries revised by Ordinance No. 13-5588 December 4, 2013.)

There shall be two Council Members from each ward herein established.

Section 4. Council Members.

The members of the Council shall be elected for a term of four years and shall hold their respective offices until their successors are elected and qualified. There shall be elected at large eight Council Members, one from each of the four wards at each biennial general election. The offices of Council Members shall always be filled so that one Council Member shall be elected from each ward for the full term of four years at each biennial general election. The term of office of Council Members incumbent at the time this Charter is adopted shall continue through their current terms of office.

Section 5. Mayor.

At the biennial general election held in 1980 and every fourth year thereafter, a Mayor shall be elected for a term of four years. The term of office of the Mayor incumbent at the time this Charter is adopted shall continue through the Mayor's current term of office.

Section 6. Qualifications of Elected Officers.

No person shall be eligible for the office of Mayor unless, at the time of their election, that person is a qualified elector within the meaning of the State constitution and has resided in the City during the twelve months immediately preceding the election. No person shall be eligible for Council office unless, at the time of their election or appointment, that person is a qualified elector within the meaning of the State constitution and has resided in the ward for which that person is seeking office during the six months immediately preceding the election. The Council shall be the final judge of the qualifications and election of its own members and the office of Mayor.

Section 7. Salaries.

The Mayor and Council Members shall receive no pay for their services and the compensation of each other City officer and each employee shall be provided for by the Council.

Section 8. Appointive Offices.

Appointive offices of the City shall be the City Manager, the Municipal Judge and Municipal Judges Pro Tem, which shall be filled by appointment of the Council. The Council may create and abolish boards and commissions as it deems necessary and may make such appointments to and removal from such boards and commissions as provided by State law, resolution, City Charter, ordinance or resolution.