RESOLUTION NO. ___- 24
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLEASANT HILL,
CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE’S STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS AT THE GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 5, 2024.
WHEREAS, Section 13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California provides that the governing body of the local agency adopt regulations pertaining to materials prepared by any candidate for a municipal election, including costs of the candidate statement.
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PLEASANT HILL DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. That the foregoing Recitals are true and correct and are incorporated herein by this reference.
SECTION 2. GENERAL PROVISIONS.
Pursuant to Sections 13307 and 13308 of the Elections Code of the State of California, each candidate for elective office to be voted for at the City of Pleasant Hill General Municipal Election to be held on November 5, 2024, may prepare a candidate’s statement on an appropriate form provided by the City Clerk. The statement may include the name, age, and occupation of the candidate and a brief description of no more than 200 words of the candidate’s education and qualifications expressed by the candidate himself or herself. The statement shall not include party affiliation of the candidate, nor membership or activity in partisan political organizations. In addition, the statement shall be limited to a recitation of the candidate’s own personal background and qualifications and shall not in any way make reference to other candidates for that office or to another candidate’s qualifications, character, or activities. The statement shall be filed in typewritten form in the office of the City Clerk at the time the candidate’s nomination papers are filed. The statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the period for filing nomination papers and until 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.
The City Clerk is NOT permitted to edit any material contained in candidate statements. Candidates are responsible for proofreading, spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Since the statement cannot be changed after it is submitted, it is important for candidates to carefully prepare and proofread their statements. The City Clerk shall not cause to be printed or circulated any statement which the City Clerk determines does not comply with the provisions of the Elections Code. The City Clerk, in his or her sole discretion, after first attempting to consult with the candidate, may strike or modify the portion or portions of the candidate statement that is not in compliance and thereafter cause to be printed and circulated the candidate’s statement as redacted or modified. (Ordinance No. 1820, adopted May 15, 2013)
Resolution No. ____
SECTION 3. FOREIGN LANGUAGE POLICY.
Pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act, candidates statements will be translated into all languages required by the County of Contra Costa. The County is required to translate candidates statements into the following language(s): Spanish and Chinese.
The County will print and mail voter information guides and candidate statements to all voters in English, Spanish, and Chinese or the County will send voter information guides and candidate statements in Spanish or Chinese to only those voters who are on the county voter file as having requested a voter information guide in a particular language. The County will make the voter information guide and candidates statements in the required languages available at all polling places, on the County’s website, and in the Election Official’s office.
SECTION 4. MISCELLANEOUS.
a. All translations shall be provided by professionally-certified translators. b. The City Clerk shall comply with all recommendations and standards set forth by the California Secretary of State regarding occupational designations and other matters relating to elections.
SECTION 5. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.
No candidate will be permitted to include additional materials in the voter information guide.
SECTION 6. PAYMENT.
The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of translating the candidates statements into any required foreign language pursuant to Federal and/or State law.
The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidate’s statement in English and any foreign language as required in the voter information guide.
The City Clerk shall estimate the total cost of printing, handling, translating, and mailing the candidate’s statements filed pursuant to this section, including costs incurred as a result of complying with the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (as amended), and require each candidate filing a statement to pay in advance to the City, his or her estimated pro rata share as a condition of having the candidate statement included in the voter information guide.
The estimate is just an approximation of the actual costs that varies from one election to another election and may be significantly more or less than the estimate, Resolution No. ____
depending on the actual number of candidates filing statements. Accordingly, the City Clerk is not bound by the estimate and may, on a pro rata basis, bill the candidate for additional actual expenses or refund any excess paid depending on the final actual cost.
SECTION 7. The City Clerk is directed to provide each candidate or the candidate’s representative a copy of this Resolution at the time nomination papers are issued.
SECTION 8. All previous resolutions adopting regulations for candidate statements are repealed.
ADOPTED ON ________________, 2024.
MATTHEW RINN, Mayor
ATTEST:
LYONE P. CONNER
City Clerk
I, Lyone Conner, City Clerk of the City of Pleasant Hill, hereby certify that Resolution No. __-24 is a full, true, and correct copy, and was duly adopted at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Pleasant Hill on _______________________, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
RECUSED:
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Pleasant Hill, California, on ___________________.
LYONE P. CONNER
City Clerk