Section 500. - Conduct of elections.

Except as otherwise provided by ordinance, all municipal elections hereafter conducted by or on behalf of the City shall be held and processed in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Elections and Government Codes.

Section 501. - Elective officers.

The elective officers of this City shall be five (5) members of the City Council, each of whom shall hold the office of Councilman.

Elective officers of the City shall be elected for four (4) year terms by the registered qualified voters of the City, on an at large basis, at general or special municipal elections, held for that purpose.

Section 502. - Qualifications for elective office.

The qualifications for any person to hold an elective office of the City shall be as follows:

(a) any such person shall be an elector, with the meaning of the Constitution of the State; and

(b) any such person shall have been a bona fide resident of the City for at least 30 days next preceding the date of the election at which he desires to be a candidate for such elective office.

Section 503. - Incumbent elective officers.

All of the incumbent elective officers of the former City, shall continue in such offices until the expiration of their respective terms for which they were elected, and until their successors are appointed or elected, and qualified.

Section 504. - Rights reserved to the electorate.

The electorate of the City, notwithstanding the adoption of this Charter, reserve unto themselves the following processes:

(a) the right of referendum as to any legislative act taken by the City Council; and

(b) the right of initiative, as to any legislative act the City Council could legally effectuate; and

(c) the right of recall as to any elective officer of the City.

Such reserved rights shall be exercisable only in accordance with, and subject to the limitations of, the provisions of the Constitution of the State of California and laws for General Law cities.

Section 505. - Vacancies.

Vacancies in elective offices shall be deemed to occur under any of the following circumstances:

(a) if, during the term of his office, an elective officer of the City dies; or

(b) if, during the term of his office, he ceases, for any reason, to qualify as a registered voter and resident of the City; or

(c) if, during the term of his office, an elective officer of the City files a written letter of resignation with the City Clerk, his office shall be deemed vacant as of that date stated in such letter, or if no date is so stated in such letter, upon the date of its filing; or

(d) if a City Councilman absents himself, without the consent of the City Council, from all regular City Council meetings for a period of sixty (60) consecutive days from the last regular meeting of the Council he attended, his office shall be deemed vacant; provided that the consent of the City Council shall be given only for good cause, but shall not be unreasonably withheld; or

(e) if an elective officer of the City is convicted of any crime which involves moral turpitude, such office shall be deemed vacant as of the date the judgement of conviction becomes final; and

(f) for any other reason applicable to General Law Cities.

Section 506. - Other offices.

No elective officer of the City, during his tenure as such, or for a period of one year, or to be designated by ordinance, thereafter, shall hold any other City office or employment.