Agenda Item #12.11
For Council Meeting of: June 21, 2022
CITY OF SANTA ROSA
CITY COUNCIL
TO: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: STEPHANIE WILLIAMS, CITY CLERK
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE
SUBJECT: GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 8, 2022: CALLING THE ELECTION, REQUESTING CONSOLIDATION WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION AND ADOPTING REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE STATEMENTS AGENDA ACTION: TWO RESOLUTIONS
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended by the City Clerk that the Council, by two resolutions: 1) call and request to consolidate the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election for the elective offices for Council Districts 2, 3, 4, and 6 with the Statewide General Election; and 2) adopt regulations pertaining to candidate statements as required by Elections Code Section 13307.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Santa Rosa has historically consolidated its general municipal elections with statewide general elections and contracted with the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters for election services. The purpose of this item is to (1) request the County Board of Supervisors consolidate this year’s General Municipal Election for the elective offices for Council Districts 2, 3, 4, and 6 with the Statewide General Election to be held on November 8, 2022; and (2) adopt regulations pertaining to candidate statements as required by Elections Code section 13307.
BACKGROUND
City Charter Section 30 provides that the City’s General Municipal Election shall be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of each even-numbered year. This year's General Municipal Election will be held on Tuesday, November 8, 2022, the same date as the Statewide General Election. The Charter further requires that elections be conducted pursuant to the election laws of the state as the same relate to municipal elections.
This year’s General Municipal Election will be for the elective offices for Council Districts 2, 3, 4, and 6. Candidates elected to Districts 2, 4, and 6 will serve a term of four (4) years, through November 2026. The election for the District 3 seat is being conducted out of sequence established by Ordinance No. ORD-2018-007 due to a vacancy created by the resignation of Council Member Jack Tibbetts. The candidate elected to represent District 3 will serve for the remainder of that term for two (2) years, through November 2024.
PRIOR CITY COUNCIL REVIEW
Not applicable.
ANALYSIS
Pursuant to the California Elections Code, the Council must adopt certain resolutions for the conduct of municipal elections. The proposed resolutions call and give notice of the General Municipal Election, request the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors consolidate the General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election, and adopt regulations for candidates for elective office pertaining to candidate statements.
The City of Santa Rosa has historically consolidated its general municipal elections with statewide general elections and contracted with the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters for election services. The Registrar of Voters Office is currently under contract with the City to provide these services through December 31, 2022. In accordance with Elections Code Section 10403, the City Clerk recommends the City Council adopt a resolution requesting the County Board of Supervisors to consolidate this year’s General Municipal Election with the Statewide General Election to be held on November 8, 2022.
Elections Code Section 13307 provides that the Council may adopt regulations pertaining to candidate statements. A resolution adopting such regulations has been prepared, which contains general provisions, provisions related to foreign language translation, a provision prohibiting the inclusion of additional materials other than a candidate’s statement in the ballot package, and provisions regarding payment by the candidate for his or her pro rata share of the total cost of printing, handling, translating, and mailing candidate statements.
Generally, candidate statements are limited to 200 words. Section 13307 authorizes the Council to increase the limit to 400 words; however, staff recommends the word count for the candidate statements be set at 200 words per statement consistent with previous elections.
Sonoma County has been officially designated a bilingual county due to the results of census data. This means that all candidate statements for all elections going forward will be provided in both English and Spanish. The estimated cost for candidate statements for the November 8, 2022, election from the Sonoma County Registrar of Voters Office are as follows:
Office/Jurisdiction
Preliminary Estimated Costs
Santa Rosa City Council, Dist. 2
$1,060
Santa Rosa City Council, Dist. 3
$1,098
Santa Rosa City Council, Dist. 4
$1,034
Santa Rosa City Council, Dist. 6
$990
Additionally, all ballots and all voter information guides that include instructions, measures, arguments, etc., will provide all text in both English and Spanish.
While the Council could elect to subsidize all or a portion of the cost for the candidate statement, the City Clerk recommends that the Council continue to require the candidate to pay his or her full pro rata share of the cost to print the candidate statement consistent with previous elections. In addition, Santa Rosa City Code Chapter 10-33 provides for the inclusion of candidate information on the City’s website and an election mailer at no cost to the candidate if the candidate agrees to a voluntary campaign spending limit of $63,260.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Sonoma County Registrar of Voters provided an estimated cost of the City Council district-based elections of $500,000. The estimated cost was based on the most recent annexation, voter registration report, initiative ballot measure item, and the services needed to hold a district-based election. Funding for this expenditure is included in the proposed FY 2022-23 City Council Budget under professional services.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guideline section 15378.
BOARD/COMMISSION/COMMITTEE REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Not applicable.
NOTIFICATION
Not applicable.
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment 1 – Election Calendar
Resolution - Calling General Municipal Election and Requesting Consolidation of the Election with the Statewide General Election Resolution - Adopting Regulations Pertaining to Candidate Statements
CONTACT
Stephanie A. Williams, City Clerk, (707) 543-3015; [email protected] GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION – NOVEMBER 8, 2022: CALLING THE ELECTION, REQUESTING CONSOLIDATION WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL ELECTION AND ADOPTING REGULATIONS PERTAINING TO CANDIDATE STATEMENTS