JosephA Raso
CHULA VISTA, CA 91910
Telephone
Honorable Mayor and Chula Vista City Council September 9, 2025 My name is Joseph A. Raso, and as your constituent, I am once again reaching out with a request that speaks directly to fairness, representation, and the trust residents place in their elected officials.
I respectfully urge the Council to amend its procedural rules so that any individual Council Member may place an item on a future agenda for discussion, provided that motion receives a second.
At present, the requirement that a majority of Council Members must first agree before an item can even appear on the agenda creates a barrier between residents and their government. Too often, Chula Vista residents who seek solutions to pressing local problems find themselves shut out— not because their concerns lack merit, but because their representative cannot bring the matter forward without majority approval in advance.
This rule unintentionally stifles open dialogue, prevents diverse perspectives from being considered, and risks silencing minority viewpoints. True representation means that every Council Member has an equal voice in raising the issues their constituents bring to them.
Adopting this change would:
Enhance fairness and transparency by ensuring all voices— both within the Council and across the community— can be heard.
Encourage healthy debate and accountability, allowing ideas to be tested in the open rather than filtered behind closed doors.
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WrittenCommunications - PC
Raso - Received9/8/2025
Strengthen democratic principles by guaranteeing that every elected representative can fulfill their duty to represent the people who elected them.
Major California cities, including San Diego and Los Angeles, already provide this opportunity to their Council Members. Chula Vista should not lag behind— we should lead in ensuring that our residents receive fair representation and that no community voice is unnecessarily muted.
I respectfully ask that you docket this procedural rule change for consideration at a future meeting, and that you vote to adopt it. By doing so, you will affirm that in Chula Vista, every resident’s concerns deserve a path to open discussion.
Thank you for your time, your service, and your commitment to the people of our city.
Respectfully,
Joseph A. Raso
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Written Communications - PC
Raso - Received 9/8/2025