DATE:
June 11, 2024
CATEGORY:
Consent
DEPT.:
City Clerk’s Office
TITLE: General Municipal Election for Four
Councilmembers—November 5, 2024
RECOMMENDATION
1. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Calling a General Municipal Election for the Purpose of Electing Four (4) Members of the City Council, Requesting the Board of Supervisors to Authorize the Registrar of Voters to Contract for Election Services, Authorizing the City Clerk to Contract with the County of Santa Clara Pertaining to Services to B e Performed b y the County in Connection with the General Municipal Election to be Held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and Related Actions, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 1 to the Council report).
2. Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Mountain View Adopting a 200-Word Maximum for a Candidate’s Statement of Qualifications and Charging Each Candidate for a Fixed Share of Costs for the Printing, Handling, Translating, and Mailing for the General Municipal Election to Be Held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, to be read in title only, further reading waived (Attachment 2 to the Council report).
3. Direct t he City Clerk to take all necessary actions related to the conduct of the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election.
BACKGROUND AND ANALYSIS
The Elections Code requires action by the City Council to call the election of four Councilmembers at the General Municipal Election of November 5, 2024 and to request from the County of Santa Clara Board of Supervisors consolidation of such election with the General Statewide Election.
As part of calling the election, Council must also t ake action regarding the statements of the candidates that are included in the Voter Information Guide. The estimated full cost of a candidate statement for the November 5, 2024 election is $3, 760. The attached resolutions set forth the actions required to consolidate the election and establish a 200-word limit for candidate statements. The resolutions con form with the City Charter , which incorporates the provisions set forth in the California Elections Code and the City Code.
General Municipal Election for Four Councilmembers—November 5, 2024 June 11, 2024
Additional Election Regulations for Council Candidates
At the time of filing their nomination papers, each candidate is required to file a statement of acceptance or rejection of the voluntary expenditure limit. The voluntary expenditure limit (VEL), campaign contribution limits, and the candidate statements are interrelated. A VEL in the amount of $15,000 for each candidate for each election to City elective office was established in 2000. It provides an automatic adjustment of the expenditure ceiling at the rate of 3 % per year to keep pace with the changes in the cost of living. The VEL for the November 5, 2024 election is $30,495.
Pursuant to Article XII, Division 3, Section 2.151 of the Mountain View City Code, candidates who file a statement of acceptance of the v oluntary expenditure limit and pay the first $500 for the cost of publishing the 200-word candidate statement will be eligible to have the City pay for the balance of the cost of the candidate statement subject to certain limitations. Additionally, pursuant to Article XII, Division 5, Section 2.171 of the Mountain View City Code, candidates who file a statement of acceptance of the voluntary expenditure limit may accept contributions totaling $1,000 per person for each single election for City Council.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed Fiscal Year 202 4-25 budget includes funds in the amount of $333,700 for the November 5, 2024 election based on an estimate provided by the County of Santa Clara Registrar of Voters . This is the projected cost of legal advertising and the amount required to cover a portion of the cost of the candidate statement fee the City pays for each candidate who accepts the VEL.
PUBLIC NOTICING—Agenda posting.
Prepared by:
Heather Glaser
City Clerk
HG/4/CAM
428-06-11-24CR
203287
Attachments: 1. Resolution—Calling Election
2. Resolution—Candidate Statement