Cortez residents will vote on six proposed amendments to the city charter Tuesday while choosing four of seven candidates for council.

Perhaps the most significant change would eliminate a requirement that the city attorney must live in Cortez, a rule that has been historically disregarded at any rate.

During recent discussions, the council concluded that adhering to the rule strictly could result in being forced to choose from a very small pool of lawyers who may have little or no expertise in municipal law, a relatively specialized field.

This amendment, Ballot Question 2C, would simply require that the city attorney have practiced law for three years in Colorado immediately before being hired. It also makes clear that the city attorney serves at the pleasure of the council rather than for any fixed term, and for whatever compensation the council decides.

Other ballot questions include:

• 2A, which increases from 30 days to 60 days the time the council has to fill a vacancy in the event a member resigns or dies, since the process of finding a suitable replacement can be drawn out. It also allows for vacancies to remain unfilled when they occur within 120 days of an election.

• 2B, which clarifies the chain of command among city employees.

• 2D, which deletes language prohibiting budget adjustments to meet unforeseen events during the first nine months of the fiscal year, even if surplus funds become available. This would allow the city more flexibility in taking advantage of grants and other opportunities to obtain outside revenue.

• 2E, which changes references to the "Division of Purchase" to "Department of General Services," since its functions now involve much more than buying supplies.

• 2F, which changes references from "councilman" to "council member," since many are, in fact, women.