Norman voters rejected three out of nine proposed Norman City Council charter changes during the Tuesday election, including three-year council member terms and increased stipends for the mayor and council members.
Proposition 1 was rejected and would have granted a stipend increase which would raise the mayor’s stipend from $1,200 to $8,100 annually, and the council members’ stipends from $1,200 to $5,400. Both of these increases would have begun during the 2025 council terms so council members can avoid voting on their stipends.
With 58 out of 60 precincts reporting, 57.15 percent voted no on the proposition and 42.85 percent voted yes for the proposition.
Proposition 2 was also rejected and would have given council members three-year terms instead of two years, beginning in 2025.
With 58 out of 60 precincts reporting, 56.37 percent voted no on the proposition and 43.63 percent voted yes for the proposition.
Proposition 3 was approved and clarifies that vacancies on the council that are filled by the majority vote of the council are filled for the balance of the unexpired term of the vacant position.
Proposition 4 was approved and creates a municipal auditor position, which will be appointed by the council by at least an affirmative vote of five members.
Proposition 5 was approved and changes the city attorney position to an “at-will” employee hired by the council instead of the city manager and confirmed by the council.
Proposition 6 was approved and increases the number of board members for the Norman Regional Hospital Authority Board from nine to 11, allowing for a maximum of two board members to be appointed from other communities in which Norman Regional Hospital Authority operates at least one facility.
Proposition 7 was approved and allows the city clerk 30 days to review one petition recalling a ward representative, 60 days for a mayoral petition and 90 days if multiple petitions are submitted.
The charter will be in accordance with state law, which will limit petitions following a member’s first six months and before the last six months of their term.
If more than four council members are recalled, then the new language would allow an affirmative vote of the majority of remaining council members.
Proposition 8 was rejected and allows utility rate increases of no more than three percent to be adopted by the city council than by submittal Norman voters, but only after a rate study and review by an appointed utility rate commission having a representative appointed from each ward and one at large.
With 58 out of 60 precincts reporting, 71 percent voted no on the proposition and 29 percent voted yes for the proposition.
The final proposition, Proposition 9, was approved and will change Norman’s reapportionment process, allowing for a committee to be formed within 30 days of the release of new precinct information by the county election board, instead of after the release of the U.S. Census.
Under these proposed changes, the committee would have 180 days following the release of precinct information to complete the redrawing of ward boundaries. Council action would become limited to adopting the committee’s recommendation, rejecting it or sending it back to the committee for further consideration.
“The City of Norman is thankful for the service of the citizen-led Charter Review Commission in this process and appreciate all Normanites who chose to cast a ballot in the special municipal election,” Tiffany Vrska, Chief Communications Officer for the City of Norman, said. “The Charter acts as our city’s Constitution and contents within it are rightfully determined by the will of the people.”
