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  • Assessment of Jacobs FIS Feasibility Study

Charter Changes...YES or NO

7/30/2018

 
Our mayor presented and city council supported amendments seem to be of an honest nature.  However, when you read between those lines what you find may be more self-serving than improving our city government.
 
The fact that a special election for this November will cost Long Beach taxpayers approximately $650,000.00 should flash the first red light.  There is no urgency to move these issues forward before our next election in 2020.
 
The only real urgency is to allow  both Dee Andrews and
Al Austin  to run for a third term with their names on the ballot.  According to assistant city attorney, Mike Mais, the way this measure is written, it would allow Dee Andrews (who won a write in for his 3rd term in 2016) to place his name on the 2020 ballot.  As for 8th district council member, Al Austin, if this measure passes, would not have to run a very difficult write-in campaign.  Instead his name would appear on the ballot and being the incumbent he would stand a higher possibility of winning that election. If passed, it will also give the mayor and other 7 council members a great sigh of relief to know they can most likely hold their seat beyond 2022.
 
In 1992, Long Beach voters denied access to a third term, by their overwhelming vote to limit mayor and city council to two terms. 
 
In 2000, Long Beach voters refused to modify the charter to allow the April write-in candidate to appear on the June ballot if they came in 1st or 2nd.
 
 In 2001, Mayor O”Neill’s team found an exception to the voter approved 2 term limit.  
 
That exception is within our city charter, Section 214(b) that codifies the exception to the term limit rule, allowing voters to write-in any candidate of their choice and allowing candidates who would otherwise be termed out to run additional campaigns as write-in candidates.  
 
Why the exception? Section 1910 of our city charter which stipulates, in part, that…”all municipal elections shall be held in accordance with the provisions of the Elections Code of the State of California governing municipal elections” and 2. State Elections Code Section 15340, which states: “Each voter is entitled to write the name of any candidate for any public office, including that of President and Vice President of the United States, on the ballot of any election.”
 
In short, we in Long Beach, can assert our desire for term limits for local elected offices, so long as we also abide by State law that permits write-in candidates.  State Election Law necessarily controls on this matter and cannot be circumvented purely as a matter of local preference.
 
In 2007 LB voters did approve a partial write-in bypass for successful write-in candidates.  It allowed their name to appear on the June ballot instead of having to run another write-in campaign.  However, they boldly rejected by 2/3 margin to allow mayor or city council to be allowed three terms.
 
The voters have spoken…….
Kristie
7/30/2018 03:53:48 pm

Thank you for your research and giving us a heads up. I hope the voters will come to realize it is time for a change in current "representation". After hatall, i thinktthe general public does'nt see our representatives as "temporary" and move them along for fresh ideas. I am tired of being laden with the
highest taxes in the area, and NO ears listening from them!

Craig
7/31/2018 11:08:42 am

Many voters are just too lazy to research candidates for office on their own and so vote the incumbents for another term. Term limits breaks this cycle by requiring voters to to periodically chose a new candidate breathing new ideas and life into the office.
It's always been my opinion that elected public service should be part-time where applicable and not a life-long career

Wendy
7/31/2018 12:44:17 pm

Thank you for passing the info. Sounds like a waste of time and money that will further confuse voters resulting in lower voter turnout - and driven by personal gain.


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