Charter Ordinance No. 23
A CHARTER ORDINANCE EXEMPTING THE CITY OF YATES CENTER, KANSAS, FROM THE PROVISIONS OF K.S.A. 12-104a, K.S.A. 14-103, K.S.A. 14- 201 AND K.S.A. 25-2108a RELATING TO THE ELECTION OF GOVERNING BODY MEMBERS, THEIR TERMS OF OFFICE, TRANSITIONS TO NOVEMBER ELECTIONS, THE APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS; AND, PROVIDING SUBSTITUTE AND ADDITIONAL PROVISIONS ON THE SAME SUBJECT; AND REPEALING CHARTER ORDINANCE NO. 21 AND ANY OTHER CHARTER ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HEREWITH.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OF YATES CENTER, KANSAS:
Section 1. The City of Yates Center, Kansas, by the power vested in it by Article 12, Section 5 of the Kansas Constitution hereby elects to and does exempt itself and make inapplicable to it the provisions of K.S.A. 12-104a, K.S.A. 14-103, K.S.A. 14-201 and K.S.A. 25-2108a which apply to this city, but are parts of enactments which do not apply uniformly to all cities.
Section 2. That the City of Yates Center can be and is hereby divided into two wards which shall be known and designated as First Ward and Second Ward.
Section 3: Second Ward shall consist of all that area within the city limits of Yates Center, Kansas, north of the center of Rutledge Street extended on the west to the western boundary of the city and extended on the east to the eastern boundary of the city.
Section 4. First Ward shall consist of all that area within the city limits of Yates Center, Kansas, south of the center line of Rutledge Street extended on the west to the western boundary of the city and extended on the east to the eastern boundary of the city.
Section 5. After the election in November 2025, the city council of Yates Center, Kansas, shall consist of a Mayor and six councilmembers. Three council members shall be elected from each ward.
Section 6. To reduce the Council size, two current governing body positions, one from each ward, shall expire on the second Monday of January 2026, with no election being held for these positions in November 2025. The mayoral election that was to take place November 2025, and two other council member positions, one from each ward, shall occur in November 2025 and continue with the same schedule as before. The other election for the four other council positions shall take place in November 2027 as scheduled before. There are to be no other changes to the election procedure other than eliminating the two council positions.
Section 7. General elections shall take place on the Tuesday succeeding the first Monday in November 2025. Succeeding elections will be held every two years for all such governing body positions whose terms have expired and for city treasurer. Elections for mayor and city treasurer shall be for a term of two years. Elections for all councilmembers shall be for a term of four years.
Section 8. That the mayor shall appoint by and with the consent of the council, a municipal judge of the municipal court; a chief of police; a city clerk; a city attorney; and city treasurer. Officers so appointed and confirmed shall hold their office for a term of one year and until their successors are appointed and qualified. The governing body shall by ordinance specify their duties and compensations, and by ordinance may abolish any office created by them, or herein, whenever they deem it expedient. The governing body may retain a licensed professional engineer to act in capacity of city engineer, more specifically define duties, and provide for reasonable compensation from services rendered.
The governing body of the City of Yates Center, Kansas, shall have the power and authority to employ such other persons as it shall deem necessary and expedient and may by ordinance specify their duties and compensation and the terms and conditions of their employment. All persons other than the officers designated above receiving compensation from the City of Yates Center for services rendered to said city shall be either employees of the city or shall be receiving their compensation pursuant to a contract entered into with the City of Yates Center, Kansas.
Section 9. Charter Ordinance No. 6, Charter Ordinance No. 20, Charter Ordinance No. 21, and any other charter ordinances in conflict herewith, are hereby repealed.
(04-07-2025)