Update 08/13/26 at 9:0 p.m. Madera City Council Agenda Page 1 of 3 August 20, 2026
NOTICE AND CALL OF THE
SPECIAL MEETING OF MADERA CITY COUNCIL
205 W. 4th Street, Madera, California 93637
NOTICE AND AGENDA
Thursday, August 20, 2026 Council Chambers
6:00 p.m. City Hall
The City Council meetings are open to the public. The meeting may also be viewed and accessed remotely at www.zoom.us/wc/85004515035/join. Members of the public may provide comments on agenda items in person, through Zoom, or by phone at (669) 900-6833 using meeting ID: 850 0451 5035 followed by the # key, or by email at [email protected]. To comment by phone, press *9 to raise your hand and *6 to unmute when called upon. Written comments may also be submitted by mail to 205 W. 4th Street, Madera, CA 93637.
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Update 08/13/26 at 9:0 p.m. Madera City Council Agenda Page 2 of 3 August 20, 2026
CALL TO ORDER:
ROLL CALL: Mayor Cece Gallegos
Mayor Pro Tem Rohi Zacharia, District 1
Councilmember Jose Rodriguez, District 2
Councilmember Steve Montes, District 3
Councilmember Anita Evans, District 4
Councilmember Elsa Mejia, District 5
Councilmember Artemio Villegas, District 6
INVOCATION:
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE:
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
PRESENTATIONS: None
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Members of the public shall have an opportunity to address the City Council regarding matters on this Agenda at the time the agenda item is called. Speakers should limit their comments to three (3) minutes.
A. PETITIONS, BIDS, RESOLUTIONS, ORDINANCES, AND AGREEMENTS:
A-1 Consideration of Action Pursuant to Elections Code Section 10229 for Council Districts 1, 3, and 5
Recommendation: 1. Adopt a Resolution Appointing the Nominated Candidates to Office;
2. Adopt a Resolution Directing that the Election be Held; or
3. Take no action (Report by Alicia Gonzales)
FUTURE MEETING DATES:
Wednesday, September 2, 2026
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
ADJOURNMENT:
The meeting room is accessible to the physically disabled. Requests for accommodations for persons with disabilities such as signing services, assistive listening devices, or alternative format agendas and reports needed to assist participation in this public meeting may be made by calling the City Clerk’s Office at (559) 661-5405 or emailing [email protected] . Those who are hearing impaired may call 711 or 1-800-735-2929 for TTY Relay Service. Requests should be made as soon as practicable as additional time may be required for the City to arrange or provide the requested accommodation.
Requests may also be delivered/mailed to: City of Madera, Attn: City Clerk, 205 W. 4th Street, Madera, CA 93637. At least seventy-two (72) hours’ notice prior to the meeting is requested but not required.
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Please silence or turn off cell phones and electronic devices while the meeting is in session. Regular meetings of the Madera City Council are held the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall.
Update 08/13/26 at 9:0 p.m. Madera City Council Agenda Page 3 of 3 August 20, 2026
Any writings or documents provided to a majority of the City Council within 72 hours of the meeting regarding any item on this agenda will be made available for public inspection at the City Clerk’s office located at 205 W. 4th Street, Madera, CA 93637 and on the City website at www.madera.gov Questions regarding the meeting agenda or conduct of the meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office at (559) 661-5405.
Para asistencia en español sobre este aviso, por favor llame al (559) 661-5405.
I, Alicia Gonzales, City Clerk for the City of Madera, declare under penalty of perjury that I posted the above agenda for the Special Meeting of the Madera City Council for August 20, 2026, near the front entrances of City Hall and on the City’s website www.madera.gov at 4:00 p.m. on August 14, 2026. _______________________
Alicia Gonzales, City Clerk
REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
Approved by: Council Meeting of: August 20, 2026
Agenda Number: ___________
________________________________
Alicia Gonzales, City Clerk
________________________________
Arnoldo Rodriguez, City Manager
SUBJECT:
Consideration of Action Pursuant to Elections Code Section 10229 for Council Districts 1, 3, and 5 RECOMMENDATION:
1. Adopt a Resolution appointing the nominated candidates to office;
2. Adopt a Resolution directing that the election be held; or
3. Take no action
SUMMARY:
Per California Elections Code Section 10229, when there is only one or no nominee for an elective office, the City Council may appoint the nominated candidate to office or direct that the election be held as scheduled. In this case, there is one nominee for each of the Council seats in Districts 1, 3, and 5. Accordingly, the Council may appoint the nominated candidates to office or proceed with the election.
DISCUSSION:
The City is scheduled to hold a Consolidated General Election on November 3, 2026, for the purpose of electing councilmembers for Districts 1, 3, and 5. The nomination period closed on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 with only one candidate nominated for each of the three Council Districts. See Attachment 1, the August 13, 2026, letter from the Madera County Registrar of Voters.
The nominated candidates are:
Rohi Zacharia (District 1)
A-1
Return to Agenda
Steve Montes (District 3), and
Alvina Miguel-Leon (District 5)
Under these circumstances and pursuant to Elections Code 10229, the City Council may take one of the following courses of action:
1. Appoint to office the person who has been nominated;
2. Appoint an eligible elector to office if no person has been nominated; or
3. Direct that the election be held if either no person or only one person has been nominated.
In the event the person nominated is appointed to office, the person appointed shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as if elected. Additionally, the City Clerk shall not accept for filing any statement of write-in candidacy after the appointment is made.
The City Clerk has complied with the requirements of Elections Code Section 10229 by providing the City Council with her Certification (Attachment 2) and by publishing the required notice in a newspaper of general circulation.
Accordingly, the City Council has the option to adopt a Resolution appointing the nominated candidates to office (Option 1), adopt a resolution directing that the election be held (Option 2), or take no action.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The cost for election services for the three Council seats is estimated to be $86,500. The amount is included in the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026/27; however, should the election not be held the cost of the election would potentially be a savings to the City.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Letter from Madera County Registrar of Voters
2. City Clerk Certification
3. Resolution Option 1: Making Appointments
4. Resolution Option 2: Hold Election as Scheduled
ATTACHMENT 1
Letter from Madera County Clerk-Recorder & Registrar of Voters
ATTACHMENT 2
City Clerk Certification
CITY OF MADERA CITY CLERK CERTIFICATION THAT THERE ARE NOT MORE
CANDIDATES THAN OFFICES TO BE ELECTED
I, Alicia Gonzales, City Clerk of the City of Madera, do hereby certify pursuant to Section 10229 of the Elections Code of the State of California, the following facts relating to the General Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
As of the close of the nomination period on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 for Members of the City Council representing Districts 1, 3, and 5, there are not more candidates than offices to be elected.
The person(s) so nominated are:
Rohi Zacharia Member of City Council District 1 4-Years Steve Montes Member of City Council District 3 4-Years
Alvina Miguel-Leon Member of City Council District 5 4-Years Section 10229 of the Elections Code allows one of the following courses of action to be taken by the City Council:
(1) Appoint to the office the person(s) who has/have been nominated. (2) Appoint to the office any eligible elector (voter) if no one has been nominated. (3) Hold the election if either no one or only one person has been nominated.
A notice of these facts was posted on Saturday, August 15, 2026, and will be published on Saturday, August 15, 2026 in a newspaper of general circulation in the City pursuant to § 6061 of the Government Code. After the fifth day following the date of publication, the City Council will meet to either make the appointment(s) or direct an election to be held. The person(s) appointed, if any, shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as if elected at a municipal election for the office.
The City Council will meet at a Special Meeting on Thursday, August 20, 2026, to either make the appointment(s) or direct an election to be held.
If, by the 75th day before the municipal election, no person has been appointed to the office(s) pursuant to (1) or (2) above, the election shall be held.
If the City Council makes an appointment pursuant to §10229, Elections Code, the City Clerk shall not accept for filing any statement of write-in candidacy which is submitted after the appointment is made.
Alicia Gonzales
City Clerk
ATTACHMENT 3
OPTION RESOLUTION (APPOINTMENTS)
RESOLUTION NO. ______
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MADERA
APPOINTING TO CITY COUNCIL OFFICE ROHI ZACHARIA (DISTRICT 1), STEVE MONTES (DISTRICT 3), AND ALVINA MIGUEL-LEON (DISTRICT 5)
AND WITHDRAWING THE ELECTION TO BE HELD FOR THESE OFFICES FROM THE NOVEMBER 3, 2026, CONSOLIDATED GENERAL ELECTION WHEREAS, the Madera City Council has called a Municipal Election to be Consolidated with the Statewide Election (Consolidated General Election) on November 3, 2026; and WHEREAS, a nomination period was opened and closed in accordance with the Elections Code and only one candidate each was nominated for offices in Districts 1, 3, and 5; and WHEREAS, in accordance with Elections Code Section 10229, the City Council may choose to appoint such persons.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Madera resolves as follows:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and incorporated by reference as fully set forth.
2. Pursuant to Elections Code 10229, the following persons are being appointed to the offices to which they were nominated:
Rohi Zacharia City Councilmember, District 1 4-Years
Steve Montes City Councilmember, District 3 4-Years
Alvina Miguel-Leon City Councilmember, District 5 4-Years
3. The election scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, 2026, is cancelled.
4. The persons appointed shall qualify and take office and serve exactly as if elected at the municipal election for that office.
5. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution and submit any required information and documents to the County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters.
6. This resolution is effective upon adoption.
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ATTACHMENT 4
OPTION 2 RESOLUTION (HOLD ELECTION)
RESOLUTION NO. ______
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MADERA
DETERMINING TO HOLD THE ELECTION FOR COUNCIL DISTRICTS 1, 3, AND 5 AS SCHEDULED ON THE CONSOLIDATED GENERAL ELECTION OF
NOVEMBER 3, 2026
WHEREAS, the Madera City Council has called a Municipal Election to be Consolidated with the Statewide Election (Consolidated General Election) on November 3, 2026; and WHEREAS, a nomination period was opened and closed in accordance with the Elections Code and only one candidate each was nominated for offices in Districts 1, 3, and 5; and WHEREAS, in accordance with Elections Code Section 10229, the City Council may choose to hold the election as scheduled.
NOW THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Madera resolves as follows:
1. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and incorporated by reference as fully set forth.
2. Pursuant to Elections Code 10229, although there are not more candidates than offices to be elected, the election shall be held as scheduled.
3. The City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution and submit any required information and documents to the County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters.
4. This resolution is effective upon adoption.
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