376.2 - TERMS.

        376.2  TERMS.         1.  Terms of city officers begin and end at noon on the first day      in January which is not a Sunday or legal holiday, following a      regular city election.         2.  Except as otherwise provided by state law or the city charter,      terms for elective offices are two years.  However, the term of an      elective office may be changed to two or four years by petition and      election.  Upon receipt of a valid petition as defined in section      362.4, requesting that the term of an elective office be changed, the      council shall submit the question at a special election.  If a      majority of the persons voting at the special election approves the      changed term, it becomes effective at the beginning of the term      following the next regular city election.  If a majority does not      approve the changed term, the council shall not submit the same      proposal to the voters within the next four years.         3.  At the first regular city election after the terms of council      members are changed to four years, terms shall be staggered as      follows:         a.  If an even number of council members are elected at large,      the half of the elected council members who receive the highest      number of votes are elected for four-year terms.  The remainder are      elected for two-year terms.         b.  If an odd number of council members are elected at large,      the majority of the elected council members who receive the highest      number of votes are elected for four-year terms.  The remainder are      elected for two-year terms.         c.  In case of a tie the mayor and clerk shall determine by      lot which council members are elected for four-year terms.         d.  If the council members are elected from wards, the council      members elected from the odd-numbered wards are elected for four-year      terms and the council members elected from even-numbered wards are      elected for two-year terms.         4.  After July 1, 1986, a petition submitted under this section to      change the term of council members from two to four years shall      specify if the terms are to be staggered or run concurrently.  If the      petition provides for concurrent terms and the changed term is      approved by the voters, subsection 3 shall not apply and the terms      shall be concurrent.  If valid petitions for staggered and concurrent      terms are submitted, the first filed shall govern.  
         Section History: Early Form
         [R60, § 1081, 1084, 1091, 1093, 1106; C73, § 390, 511, 514, 518,      521, 535; C97, § 646--649; S13, § 646--649; SS15, § 1056-b3; C24, 27,      31, 35, 39, § 5632, 6625, 6626; C46, 50, § 363.10, 419.11,      419.12; C54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, § 363.9, 363.10, 363.28; C75, 77,      79, 81, § 376.2] 
         Section History: Recent Form
         86 Acts, ch 1224, § 34; 2002 Acts, ch 1134, §105, 115; 2008 Acts,      ch 1115, § 67, 71         Referred to in § 39.20