Wondering what the ballot proposition questions are for Hobbs?
Here is a rundown of what is on the ballot.
PROPOSITION 1
“Shall the City Charter be amended to remove the 180-day residency requirement for candidates as required by the N.M. Constitution?”
Currently the City Charter Section 2-1(A) requires that in order to be a candidate for municipal office, the individual first has to reside within the specific district for at least 180 days. This requirement may likely be more than the City can lawfully require. The question on the ballot is whether or not the requirement should be removed. A “yes” vote means you are in favor of removing the requirement. A “no” vote means you arenot in favor of removing the requirement.
PROPOSITION 2
“Shall the City Charter be amended to remove the requirement for runoff elections and, thus, the single candidate with the highest number of votes for an office shall be declared the winner?”
Currently the City Charter Section 2-6 requires that if no candidate in a contested race receives at least forty percent(40%) of the votes for that position, a second election known as a“runoff” election must take place between the top two candidates. The question on the ballot is whether or not the City should do away with the “runoff” election and move to a system where the single candidate with the most votes wins. A “yes” vote means you are in favor of removing the “runoff” election. A “no” vote means you want to keep the “runoff” election in place.
PROPOSITION 3
“Shall the City Charter be amended to add the power to the City Commission to provide advice and consent by resolution regarding the termination of the City Attorney?”
Currently the City Attorney can only be terminated by the City Manager. The question on the ballot is whether or not the City Commission should also have input into the termination of the City Attorney. A “yes” vote means you are in favor of the City Commission having input on the termination of the City Attorney. A “no” vote means you are not in favor of the City Commission having input on the termination of the City Attorney.
PROPOSITION 4
“Shall the City Charter be amended to remove the specific recall provisions for the Mayor and any City Commissioner and provide for recall election as set forth in the Recall Act in the New Mexico State Statutes?”
Currently the City Charter Section 10-1 sets out the process for a “recall election” for the Mayor and any City Commissioner. A “recall” is removal of a public official from office by popular vote. In 2019, the State of New Mexico adopted a new state recall statute that sets out definitive requirements for recall elections of elected officials. The question on the ballot is whether or not the City should remove its recall provision and utilize the State’s recall provision instead. A “yes” vote means you are in favor of removing the City’s recall provision and using the State’s law. A “no” vote means you are not in favor of removing the City’s recall provision.
PROPOSITION 5
“Shall the City Charter be amended to add a new section providing that wherever the masculine gender is used in the Charter, it shall be construed to include the feminine?”
The City Charter references the male pronouns “he,” “him,” and “his” in various sections of the Charter. This limited language does not reflect the realities of modern society. The question on the ballot is whether or not an additional section should be added to the Charter that requires where a male pronoun is read, the reader should also interpret the pronoun to mean the female form as well. A “yes” vote means you are in favor of adding this additional section to the Charter. A “no” vote means you are not in favor of adding this additional section to the Charter.
