Costa Mesa, California, City Council Districts, Measure EE (November 2016)
| Measure EE: Costa Mesa City Council Districts |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Approved
|
| Topic: |
| Local election and voting laws |
| Related articles |
| Local election and voting laws on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California Orange County, California ballot measures |
| See also |
| Costa Mesa, California |
A measure establishing city council voting districts was on the ballot for Costa Mesa voters in Orange County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was approved.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of establishing six districts from which city council members elected. |
| A no vote was a vote against establishing districts from which city council members are elected, thus leaving the city-wide at-large election system intact. |
Election results
| Measure EE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| Yes | 23,295 | 65.09% | ||
| No | 12,495 | 34.91% | ||
- Election results from Orange County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall members of the legislative body of the City of Costa Mesa be elected by district as described in Ordinance No. 16-05, establishing six equal, geographically based districts, and the Mayor of the City of Costa Mesa elected on a citywide basis for a term of two years by the voters of the entire city, for a maximum of two terms?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Costa Mesa City Attorney:
| “ |
This measure seeks voter approval of Ordinance 16-05, which would amend the City’s method and manner of electing members to the Costa Mesa City Council commencing in November 2018. The City of Costa Mesa, as a general law city, currently has 5 City Council members elected by all City voters to terms of four years each, staggered so that 3 are elected one election year and 2 are elected in the next. The Mayor is selected every two years by members of the City Council. The proposed measure was placed on the ballot by the City Council as part of a settlement agreement with plaintiffs who asserted that Costa Mesa’s current at-large system violated the California Voting Rights Act. The measure would change this system to “district-based elections,” a method of electing members to the City Council by voters residing within that district and the Mayor elected by voters citywide. Under the proposed ordinance, the City would be divided into 6 geographic districts, as shown on the attached map, equal in population according to the latest federal decennial census. All Council Members elected by-district would serve a four-year term for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Mayor elected by voters citywide (as opposed to the current system, where the Mayor is selected by members of the City Council) would serve a two-year term for a maximum of two consecutive terms. Elections would continue to be staggered so that every 2 years, there would be a Council Member election with 3 Council Member and the Mayor seats up for election at one election (commencing in November 2018) and three Council Member seats up for election at the next election (commencing in November 2020). Current council members would continue to serve until they are replaced at the end of their current terms of office. After the initial establishment of the districts, the district boundaries would be modified, if necessary, every ten years so that each district continues to be as nearly equal in population as may be according to the latest federal decennial census. A “yes” vote on this measure would approve Ordinance No. 16-05, which changes the current city-wide at-large election system to a district election system, allowing the creation of 6 districts, from which one council member would be elected by voters of each district and a Mayor elected citywide, commencing with the November 2018 election. A “no” vote on this measure would leave in place the current at-large system for electing all 5 Council Members, elected by all voters city-wide, for staggered terms of four years each, with the Mayor selected by the council. THE ABOVE STATEMENT IS AN IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE EE. IF YOU DESIRE A COPY OF THE MEASURE OR OF ORDINANCE 16-05, PLEASE CALL THE CITY CLERK’S OFFICE AT (714) 754-5225, AND A COPY WILL BE MAILED AT NO COST TO YOU.[2] |
” |
| —Costa Mesa City Attorney[1] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Costa Mesa, California.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Costa Mesa Local election and voting laws. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Orange County Registrar of Voters, "Measure EE," accessed October 6, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
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