RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA
MARIA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR CANDIDATES
FOR ELECTIVE OFFICE PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE’S
STATEMENTS SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS
WHEREAS, §13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California provides that the governing body of any local agency adopt regulations pertaining to materials prepared by any candidate for a municipal election, including costs of the candidates’ statements.
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA MARIA,
CALIFORNIA, DOES HEREBY RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. That pursuant to §13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California, each candidate for elective office to be voted for at an Election to be held in the City of Santa Maria, on November 5, 2024, may prepare a candidate’s statement on an appropriate form provided by the Chief Deputy 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 the party affiliation of the candidate, nor membership or activity in partisan polit ical organizations.
The statement shall be filed in typewritten form in the Office of the Chief Deputy 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 The statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the period for filing nomination papers and until 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.
SECTION 2. FOREIGN LANGUAGE POLICY.
A. Pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act, candidates’ statements will be translated into all languages required by th e County of Santa Barbara. The County is required to translate candidates’ statements into Spanish.
B. The County will print and mail sample ballots and candidates’ statements to all voters in Spanish.
C. Pursuant to State law, the candidate’s statement may be translated and printed in the voter’s pamphlet in any other language at the candidate’s request.
SECTION 3. PAYMENT.
A. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of translating and printing the candidate’s statement in English and into any required foreign language required by Section 2(A) above pursuant to Federal and/or State law; and B. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of translating and printing the candidate’s statement into any foreign language as specified in 2(C) above, pursuant to State and/or Federal law.
The Chief Deputy City Clerk shall estimate the total cost of printing, handling, translating, and mailing the candidates’ statements filed pursuant to this section, including 2 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 local agency his/her estimated prorata share as a condition of having his/her statement included in the voters’ pamphlet. In the ev ent the estimated payment is required, the estimate is just an approximation of the actual cost that varies from one election to another election and may be significantly more or less than the estimate, depending on the actual number of candidates filing s tatements. Accordingly, the Chief Deputy City Clerk is not bound by the estimate and may, on a prorated basis, bill the candidate for additional actual expense or refund any excess paid depending on the final actual cost. In the event of underpayment, the Chief Deputy City Clerk may require the candidate to pay the balance of the cost incurred. In the event of overpayment, the Chief Deputy City Clerk shall prorate the excess amount among the candidates and refund the excess amount paid within 30 days of receiving the actual cost from the County.
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 sample ballot package.
SECTION 5. That the Chief Deputy City Clerk shall provide each candidate or the candidate’s representative a copy of this Resolution at the time nominating petitions are issued.
SECTION 6. That all previous Resolutions establishing Council policy on payment for candidates’ statements are repealed.
SECTION 7. That this Resolution shall apply only to the election to be held on November 5, 2024.
SECTION 8. That the Chief Deputy City Clerk shall certify to the passage and adoption of this Resolution and enter it into the book of original Resolutions.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Santa Maria, held the 4th day of June 2024.
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3 Mayor
ATTEST:
Chief Deputy City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
By:
City Attorney
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT:
By:
Department Director
By:
Interim City Manager