Tustin city voters will get the chance in November to decide whether they want to continue electing the city clerk into office.
If voters decide to make the city clerk an appointed position, the city manager could appoint another city employee to be city clerk.
Eliminating the position on the ballot would save the city about $29,454 annually, while the one-time cost to put the initiative on the ballot would be about $8,500, the report said.
The Council approved the change at its meeting Tuesday. Councilman Doug Davert said he and Councilman Jim Palmer “put their heads together” and came up with the idea to save the city money.
“In these times when we’ve looked to cut every place we can, it was important that we follow the lead of most other Orange County cities,” Davert said. “There is a saving in terms of salary and benefits that is fairly substantial.”
Davert said the term of the current city clerk, Pamela Stoker, expires in 2012 and that — should voters approve the change — it would not affect her midterm.