CHAPTER 5. Local Government Reorganization

Chapter 5 added by Stats. 1973, Ch. 972.

§§ 51900–51953 · 52 sections

1. ARTICLE 1. Findings and Declarations of Policy §§ 51900–51903 · 4 sections

   • § 51900 The Legislature finds and declares that the County of Sacramento, due to the small number of incorporated cities within the county, the large unincorporated…
   • § 51901 It is further found and declared that local government must be responsive and its elected officials readily accountable to the needs of the people; it must be…
   • § 51902 It is further found and declared that in order to strengthen and make more efficient and responsive the overall administrative process of local government,…
   • § 51903 The Legislature finds that a general statute cannot be made applicable to this matter because of the facts and circumstances peculiar to the local governmental…
2. ARTICLE 2. Definitions and General Provisions §§ 51910–51919 · 10 sections

   • § 51910 Unless the context otherwise requires, the definitions and general provisions set forth in this article govern the construction of this chapter.
   • § 51911 “Largest city” means the largest city in Sacramento County as determined by the last federal census.
   • § 51912 “Other cities” mean the cities in Sacramento County with lesser population than the largest city.
   • § 51913 “Cities” mean all of the cities within Sacramento County.
   • § 51914 “County” means the County of Sacramento.
   • § 51915 “City-County of Sacramento” means the City and the County of Sacramento resulting from the reorganization of local government within Sacramento County.
   • § 51916 “Charter commissioners” shall mean the Citizens Committee on Local Governmental Reorganization, an existing nonprofit corporation and citizens’ committee…
   • § 51917 “Reorganize” and “reorganization” means the consolidation of a county with all of the cities within the county pursuant to Article XI of the California…
   • § 51918 The incorporated cities within the County of Sacramento and the County of Sacramento may be reorganized pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
   • § 51919 When reorganization proceedings are followed pursuant to this chapter, this chapter alone applies.
3. ARTICLE 3. Reorganization Proceedings §§ 51920–51939.2 · 24 sections

   • § 51920 Reorganization proceedings pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to have commenced with the appointment of the charter commissioners by the county and…
   • § 51921 The charter commissioners shall propose a charter for the government of the City-County of Sacramento. The charter so prepared shall be signed by a majority of…
   • § 51922 The legislative body of the county shall cause copies of the charter to be printed in convenient pamphlet form and in type of not less than 10-point and shall…
   • § 51923 The proposed charter shall be submitted to the electors of the entire county (including all cities) at a date to be fixed by the charter commissioners before…
   • § 51924 In submitting any such charter, the charter commissioners may also submit separate propositions, whether alternative or conflicting, or one included within the…
   • § 51925 The charter as adopted at the election by a majority of the electors of the entire county (including all cities) voting thereon and by a majority of the…
   • § 51926 At the election, the questions of reorganization and adoption of a charter shall both be presented as provided in Section 51929. In addition, there shall also…
   • § 51927 The legislative body of the county shall cause notice of the election to be given by publication in a newspaper of general circulation printed and published in…
   • § 51928 The notice shall: (a) State distinctly the proposition or propositions to be submitted. (b) State the names of the cities and the county proposed to be…
   • § 51929 Upon the ballots used at the election shall be printed the words: “Shall the city (or cities) of (naming them) and the County of Sacramento be reorganized and…
   • § 51929.5 Upon the ballots used at the election within each of the other cities proposed to be reorganized and consolidated with the County of Sacramento shall also be…
   • § 51929.6 The charter of the city-county adopted pursuant to this chapter shall contain provisions which recognize the right of the voters of the other cities to elect…
   • § 51930 If, voting on a proposition presented pursuant to Section 51929, an elector marks the voting target next to the word “Yes,” the elector’s vote shall be counted…
   • § 51931 On each proposition separately submitted, including the proposition presented pursuant to Section 51929.5, if an elector marks the voting target next to the…
   • § 51932 Except as otherwise provided in this article, the election, if a special election, shall be conducted as other special elections in the county or, if a general…
   • § 51933 After performing their duties, the election officers shall deliver the ballots, tally sheets, and returns to the clerk of the county.
   • § 51934 At its next regular meeting following the election, the legislative body of the county shall canvass the returns. The canvass shall be completed at the meeting…
   • § 51935 Immediately upon the completion of the canvass, the legislative body of the county shall declare the results and cause a record to be entered upon its minutes,…
   • § 51936 If a majority of the votes cast in the largest city or if a majority of the votes in the county as a whole (including the largest city and the other cities) is…
   • § 51937 If a majority of the votes cast in both the largest city and in the county as a whole (including the largest city and the other cities) is for consolidation…
   • § 51938 A copy of the record of the canvass, with a statement of the proposition or propositions submitted at the election shall be filed with the Secretary of State.
   • § 51939 Upon the filing with the Secretary of State of the Charter of the consolidated City-County of Sacramento which has been approved by the Legislature pursuant to…
   • § 51939.1 The provisions of Sections 51940 through 51947, inclusive, shall not apply to any of the other cities which has voted, pursuant to Section 51929.5, to retain…
   • § 51939.2 The procedures set forth in this article shall have validity and effect and shall be followed only in the event that an amendment to the California…
4. ARTICLE 4. Effects of Reorganization §§ 51940–51953 · 14 sections

   • § 51940 Upon reorganization, the cities are deemed dissolved and disincorporated and are merged together with the county into the City-County of Sacramento, and the…
   • § 51941 Upon reorganization every special district within the county or exercising all or any part of its jurisdiction or powers within the county except as may be…
   • § 51942 When cities and a county are reorganized pursuant to this chapter, the reorganized city-county is the successor of each of the cities and the county so…
   • § 51943 Immediately upon reorganization, all persons occupying or possessing the offices of each of the cities and the county shall surrender them to the proper…
   • § 51944 Except as otherwise provided in the charter, reorganization does not affect any debts, demands, liabilities, or obligations of any kind existing in favor of or…
   • § 51945 The legislative body of the city-county shall levy and collect the taxes necessary to pay the indebtedness or liability of each city and the county incurred…
   • § 51946 Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in Chapter 1.5 (commencing with Section 2161), Part 4, Division 1, of the Revenue and Taxation Code, the charter…
   • § 51947 Immediately upon reorganization, all ordinances of the cities and the county shall be deemed repealed. Such repeal shall not discharge any person from any…
   • § 51948 The repeal of ordinances pursuant to Section 51947 shall not apply to: (a) Ordinances under which vested rights have accrued to the extent legally necessary to…
   • § 51949 Upon reorganization, the charter of the city-county shall have full effect throughout the city-county. The charter shall recognize the status of each of the…
   • § 51950 If reorganization is completed, all proper expenses of reorganization proceedings not otherwise provided for shall be paid by the county. If reorganization is…
   • § 51951 One copy of the charter ratified and approved in accordance with the provisions of this article shall be filed with the Secretary of State and one with the…
   • § 51952 This chapter shall not be construed to prevent any consolidated city-county from framing and adopting a new or revised charter after consolidation in which…
   • § 51953 The charter may provide for the manner in which any of the other cities which has elected to retain its local governmental structure pursuant to Article 3…