Mendocino County, California, Charter Commission Initiative, Measure W (June 2016)
| Measure W: Mendocino County Charter Commission Initiative |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| June 7, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Defeated
|
| Topic: |
| Local charter amendments |
| Related articles |
| Local charter amendments on the ballot June 7, 2016 ballot measures in California Mendocino County, California ballot measures County governance on the ballot |
| See also |
| Mendocino County, California |
A charter commission measure was on the ballot for Mendocino County voters in Mendocino County, California, on June 7, 2016. It was defeated.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of establishing a charter commission to propose a county charter for voter consideration. |
| A no vote was a vote against establishing a charter commission to propose a county charter for voter consideration. |
Election results
| Mendocino County, Measure W | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| No | 13,135 | 53.61% | ||
| Yes | 11,368 | 46.39% | ||
- Election results from Mendocino County Elections Office
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall a charter commission be elected to propose a Mendocino County charter?[2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Mendocino County Counsel:
| “ | This measure seeks voter approval to form a fifteen (15) member charter commission to draft a charter for the County of Mendocino. A county may adopt, amend, revise or repeal a charter by a majority vote of its electors. Upon adoption, the charter becomes the basic legal document defining the county’s policies and operation and can only be changed by the voters.
The California Constitution allows for a charter to address a narrow range of issues concerning the internal policies and function of the county government. The charter can be more, but not less restrictive than state law. A charter county has only those powers given to it by the California Constitution and can only enact those provisions authorized by such. If approved by the voters, where the charter addresses one of the authorized issues, it overrides whatever general state law might otherwise apply. The charter commission’s sole duties are to draft a charter. Once completed, the charter will be placed on the ballot and voted on by the people. This measure was placed on the ballot by a petition signed by the requisite number of voters. This measure requires voter approval by a simple majority vote of the qualified voters. A YES vote will be a vote in favor of adoption of a charter commission. A NO vote will be a vote against the adoption of a charter commission.[2] |
” |
| —Mendocino County Counsel[1] | ||
Full text
The full text of the measure is available here.
Support
Supporters
The following individuals signed the official argument in favor of the measure:[1]
- Peter Kafin
- Douglas J. McKenty
- Norman L. de Vall
- Robin Cole Sunbeam
- Mary E. Zellachild
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[1]
| “ | Democracy is defined as government by the people. This means if we value Mendocino County’s democracy, we need to be actively engaged in keeping it strong. Becoming a Charter County can give us a greater say in how our county is governed, because it can include areas of interest not specifically covered by the CA constitution.
Provisions of the Charter will have the same force and effect as state legislative enactments [CA Constitution Article XI, §3(a)], so that whatever is written into the charter – once approved by the voters --- will be equal to state law, but applicable only to our county. 15 volunteer Charter Commissioners from around the county, who will be elected on this same ballot for that specific purpose, will write the charter. The completed Charter must be approved by the voters at another date. A Charter may be revised, amended or rescinded by election—always giving county voters the final approval. There are currently 14 charter counties in California, including Butte, El Dorado, Placer, San Diego and Tehama. Existing county charters legalize issues like: Instant Runoff Voting, Public oversight for investment of public funds, the Precautionary Principle, and using pesticide alternatives. The Charter gives the County more “Home Rule” authority where the millions of urban voters will not make the choices for this rural County. This election we have a chance to participate in our county’s government. A YES vote costs nothing and obligates nothing. When the Charter is completed, then it can be examined for it’s value and merits. This vote is to develop a Charter with input from the People, and for approval by the People in a later election. Vote YES on Measure W to make Mendocino California’s 15th Charter County! Use your vote to help revitalize our democracy![2] |
” |
Opposition
No official arguments in opposition to the measure were filed.[1]
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a successful initiative petition campaign.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Mendocino County Local charter amendments. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
External links
Footnotes
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