12-10a01. Adoption of modified mayor-council form of government; submission to election; petition; election laws applicable. Any city may adopt the modified mayor-council form of government in the manner herein provided and shall thereafter be governed by the provisions of this act. A proposition to adopt such form of government must first be submitted to a vote of the qualified electors of such city at any city or state primary or general election. The governing body of said city may submit such proposition by resolution and must submit it upon the filing of a petition signed by at least ten percent (10%) of the qualified electors of the city. The petition shall be headed "Petition for an election of the city of ______________, Kansas, to vote on the adoption of the modified mayor-council form of government," shall be addressed to the governing body of the city, and be filed with the election officer of the county in which the city is located. Such petition shall conform to the requirements of article 36 of chapter 25 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated and amendments thereto, and its sufficiency shall be determined in the manner therein provided and shall be certified to the city clerk by the county election officer. Upon the adoption of a resolution or the certification of a petition as provided in this section, the governing body of the city shall submit the proposition at the next city or state primary or general election, following by not less than sixty (60) days such adoption or certification. Notice thereof shall be published in the manner provided by K.S.A. 25-105. The form of the ballots to be used at the election shall be as follows:

"Shall the city of ______________ adopt the modified mayor-council form of government and become a city operating under the general laws governing cities of like class?"

Yes ☐[ ]      No ☐[ ]

If a majority of the votes cast upon said proposition shall be in favor of adopting the modified mayor-council plan of government, then at the next regular city election the mayor and members of the council hereinafter provided for as constituting the governing body of the city shall be elected as provided herein; and upon their election and qualification the rights, powers and duties of the commissioners or mayor and members of the council of such city shall cease and terminate.

Except as herein otherwise provided, the nomination and election of the mayor and members of the council of said governing body shall be governed by the election laws then applicable to city primary and general elections. Candidates for member of the council from a district shall be residents of the district for which they seek election and qualified electors signing a petition for the candidacy of a member of the council for a district shall be residents of such district. Only the qualified electors of a district shall vote upon the office of member of the council from that district.

History: L. 1976, ch. 65, § 1; April 16.