REPORT TO CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE
SUBJECT
Title
Implementation of Voter Approved Measure N Relating to District Elections
Report
BACKGROUND
On November 6, 2018, the City of Santa Clara (City) held its first district-based election as required by a ruling of the Santa Clara County Superior Court (Court). The Court ruling implemented district-based elections with six Council districts for the 2018 and 2020 elections, with the Mayor continuing to be elected at large, but did not amend the City Charter. Under Article XI, ? 3 of the California Constitution, the City Charter can only be amended by a majority vote of the City electorate. Currently, the City Charter still states that City Councilmembers are to be elected "at large."
The City Council placed an advisory measure on the November 2018 ballot to determine if the voters wanted to engage in a public process to draft charter amendment language relating to the City's election system. The advisory ballot measure (known as "Measure N") read as follows:
"Shall the City of Santa Clara engage the voters in a public process to draft a Charter Amendment ballot measure to elect its Council Members, other than the Mayor, by district?"
Santa Clara voters approved Measure N, with more than 70% of the vote, on Nov. 6, 2018.
DISCUSSION
At the June 4, 2019 meeting, the City Council approved the City Clerk's recommendation for a March 2020 primary election work plan to implement voter-approved Measure N, which included the creation of a Charter Review Committee (Committee).
Per the Council's direction, the Committee's discussions and requests for public input will be focused on making a recommendation on districting based on the public input received, and not on drafting of actual charter amendment language. The discussion is expected to involve the number of districts and how many council members should represent each district. The Committee will not be drawing district boundaries.
The resulting Charter amendment w...
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