City of Buellton Elected Mayors, Measure R (November 2014)
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A City of Buellton Elected Mayor Measure ballot question was on the November 4, 2014 election ballot for voters in the city of Buellton in Santa Barbara County, California. It was approved.
Measure R changed the local city charter, making the position of city mayor an elected position instead of having city councilmembers select a mayor from among themselves for a one year term. The ballot measure also asked voters how long the term for the new elected mayoral position should be. Voters chose a two-year term over a four-year term.[1]
Election results
| City of Buellton, Measure R - Elected Mayors | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 Yes | 1,158 | 72.06% | ||
| No | 449 | 27.94% | ||
| City of Buellton, Measure R - 2 Year Terms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 1,131 | 72.36% | ||
| No | 432 | 27.64% | ||
| City of Buellton, Measure R - 4 Year Terms | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
 No | 1,225 | 79.70% | ||
| Yes | 312 | 20.30% | ||
Election results via: Santa Barbara County Elections Office
Support
Supporters
- Ed Andrisek
- Judith Dale
- Holly Sierra
Arguments in favor
Supporters argued that because the mayor has more duties than the other councilmembers, it would provide better representation to the residents of the city of Buellton to have direct elections for that position.[1]
Councilmember Holly Sierra requested the ballot item be considered by the council and believes it does the residents a disservice to not have elections for the position of mayor. She said, “The mayor position does do a lot more," and pointed towards the additional duties of the mayor as a reason for the people to have more of a say in who fills the position.[1]
Opposition
Opponents
- John Connolly, Councilmember and current Mayor
- Leo Elovitz, vice mayor
Arguments against
Councilmember and Mayor John Connolly said that it is important to give each councilmember a chance to serve as mayor since it allows for more awareness of what is going on and a spreading of knowledge among the council, resulting in a stronger panel making decisions for the city.[1]
Leo Elovitz, who was elected to the council in 2012, stated that he previously believed an elected mayor would be a good step for the city of Buellton, but has changed his mind since taking his councilmember seat. He now thinks the council would remain more effective and functional if left unimpaired by changes to its structure. He also mentioned, as Connolly did, that the current rotation gives valuable experience to the entire council.[1]
Path to the ballot
The ballot issue was proposed by Councilmember Holly Sierra and approved for the November ballot in a 3-2 vote.[1]
Similar measures
- Local elections and campaigns on the ballot
- City governance on the ballot
- Local term limits on the ballot
See also
Footnotes
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