Pittsburg, California, Appointed City Clerk, Measure H (November 2016)
| Measure H: Pittsburg Appointed City Clerk |
|---|
|
| The basics |
| Election date: |
| November 8, 2016 |
| Status: |
 Defeated
|
| Topic: |
| Local election and voting laws |
| Related articles |
| Local election and voting laws on the ballot November 8, 2016 ballot measures in California Contra Costa County, California ballot measures City governance on the ballot |
| See also |
| Pittsburg, California |
A measure making the city clerk an appointed position was on the ballot for Pittsburg voters in Contra Costa County, California, on November 8, 2016. It was defeated.
| A yes vote was a vote in favor of making the City Clerk an appointed, rather than elected, position. |
| A no vote was a vote against making the City Clerk an appointed position. |
Election results
| Measure H | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
| No | 12,223 | 63.37% | ||
| Yes | 7,064 | 36.63% | ||
- Election results from Contra Costa County Elections Division
Text of measure
Ballot question
The following question appeared on the ballot:[1]
| “ |
Shall the office of City Clerk be appointive? [2] |
” |
Impartial analysis
The following impartial analysis of the measure was prepared by the office of the Pittsburg City Attorney:
| “ |
California law requires all general law cities to have the position of city clerk. City clerks have many important administrative responsibilities, such as keeping records of all city council meetings, including ordinances and resolutions; overseeing city elections; administering retention of city records; and performing other significant duties imposed by state and local law. The position of city clerk may be either an elected position or an appointed position. Elected city clerks must reside and be registered to vote in the city where they hold office. No other requirements or minimum experience qualifications apply to elected city clerks. Appointed city clerks serve at the pleasure of the city council, and are not required to be residents or voters in the city in which they serve. A city council may establish minimum qualification requirements for appointed city clerks. The office of City Clerk for the City of Pittsburg is currently an elected office. California Elections Code section 36508 authorizes a city council to submit to the voters the question of whether an elected office, other than that of a city council member, shall be made an appointed office. The Pittsburg City Council adopted Resolution 16-13225 directing that a question be submitted to the voters of the City of Pittsburg concerning whether the City Clerk of the City of Pittsburg shall be made an appointed position. A “yes” vote on Measure H is a vote in favor of making the City Clerk of the City of Pittsburg an appointed position. A “no” vote on Measure H is a vote against making the City Clerk of the City of Pittsburg an appointed position. If a majority of the voters voting on Measure H vote “yes”, then the City Clerk of the City of Pittsburg will become an appointed position, and the city council will appoint a City Clerk at the expiration of the term of the City Clerk now in office, or upon a vacancy in the office of City Clerk. |
” |
| —Pittsburg City Attorney[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]
- Alice Evenson, Pittsburg City Clerk
- Sal Evola, Pittsburg Council Member
- Dwaine “Pete” Longmire, Pittsburg Council Member
- Mary Erbez, Former Pittsburg City Clerk, Council Member, Mayor
Arguments in favor
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in favor of the measure:[1]
| “ |
The selection of the City Clerk for Pittsburg should be based on qualifications and experience, not the results of a political campaign. Duties of the City Clerk have evolved considerably over the past few decades. A city can no longer afford for this position to be strictly ceremonial in nature. The complexities of the position have increased and technical skills and knowledge required are significant. The Clerk’s responsibilities include: city records and agenda management, elections oversight, administration of the City’s legislative process, and compliance with conflict of interest regulations and other federal/state laws. New laws are enacted each year that require administration by City Clerks. Logic demands that the City Clerk be selected following a screening designed to recruit and hire the person with the strongest technical and professional skills. Once hired, an appointed Clerk can be held accountable to perform to the same standards established for other executive staff. By State law, the only qualifications to serve as an elected City Clerk are:
The trend statewide has moved towards appointed rather than elected City Clerks. 80% of California cities appoint their City Clerks; only 4 of 19 cities in Contra Costa County have elected City Clerks. The Pittsburg City Council unanimously joins many groups and individuals committed to quality local government in encouraging you to support this commonsense and necessary change. The public expects that the duties of the City Clerk will be performed efficiently and professionally. This can best be accomplished by selecting a person to serve based on technical skill, education and relevant experience. The City of Pittsburg deserves a full-time, qualified City Clerk. Your YES vote ensures the duties of the City Clerk are performed by a professional selected based on their knowledge, education, training and qualifications. |
” |
Opposition
Opponents
The following individuals signed the official argument against the measure:[1]
- Jack Weir, President, Contra Costa Taxpayers Association
Arguments against
Official argument
The following official argument was submitted in opposition to the measure:[1]
| “ |
The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association strongly opposes this measure. As official custodian for all public meeting minutes and other critical documents, it is vital that the position of City Clerk not be vulnerable to pressure from the City Manager or council members in order to protect his/her job. The public relies on true and accurate public records of government actions, and as long as the City Clerk is only accountable to the people, they can rely on independent recording and record management. Please Vote NO on this measure, and protect the integrity of the City Clerk position.[2] |
” |
Path to the ballot
This measure was put on the ballot through a vote of the governing officials of Pittsburg, California.
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Pittsburg 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
 |
State of California Sacramento (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
