RESOLUTION NO. 2024-024
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON
REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 2014-64 AND ADOPTING
REGULATIONS REGARDING CANDIDATE STATEMENTS
SUBMITTED TO THE VOTERS IN ANY GENERAL MUNICIPAL OR
SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION
SECTION 1. Recitals.
A. WHEREAS, Section 13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California provides that the governing body of any local agency shall adopt regulations pertaining to materials prepared by any candidate for a municipal election, including costs of the candidate’s statement.
B. On October 21, 2014, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2014-64 adopting regulations for candidates for elective office pertaining to candidate statements submitted to the voters at any general municipal or special municipal election.
C. The City Council desires to repeal Resolution No. 2014-64 and adopt updated regulations regarding candidate statements submitted to the voters at any general municipal or special municipal election.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF VERNON AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 2. The City Council of the City of Vernon finds and determines that the above recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 3. GENERAL PROVISIONS. That pursuant to Section 13307 of the Elections Code of the State of California, each candidate for nonpartisan elective office to be voted for in future elections to be held in the City of Vernon 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. 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. Except as provided in Elections Code Section 13309, the statement may be withdrawn, but not changed, during the period for filing nomination papers and until 5:00 p.m. of the next working day after the close of the nomination period.
Resolution No. 2024-024
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SECTION 4. FOREIGN LANGUAGE POLICY.
A. Pursuant to the Federal Voting Rights Act, the City is required to translate candidate statements into Spanish and Korean.
B. The City Clerk shall:
1. Translations – have all candidate statements translated into the languages specified in (A) above.
2. Printing –
(a) Print an English only voter pamphlet to be mailed to all voters. (b) Print any translations of statements of candidates who so request printing in the main voter pamphlet.
(c) Print all translations of all candidate statements pursuant to (A) above, in facsimile voter pamphlets.
(d) Have all translations made available upon request in the Office of the City Clerk.
SECTION 5. PAYMENT.
A. Translations.
1. The candidate shall not be required to pay for the cost of translating the candidate’s statement into any required foreign language as specified in (A) of Section 4 above pursuant to Federal and/or State law.
2. The candidate shall not be required to pay for the cost of translating the candidate’s statement into any foreign language that is not required as specified in (A) of Section 4 above, pursuant to Federal and/or State law, but is requested as an option by the candidate.
B. Printing.
1. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidate’s statement in English in the Official Sample Ballot Booklet.
2. The candidate shall be required to pay for the cost of printing the candidate’s statement in Spanish in the Official Sample Ballot Booklet.
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The City Clerk shall estimate the total cost of printing, handling, translating, and mailing the candidate’s statement 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 who is filing a statement to pay in advance to the local agency his or her estimated pro rata share as a condition of having his or her statement included in the voter’s pamphlet. In the event 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 statements.
Accordingly, the clerk is not bound by the estimate and may, on a pro rata 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 clerk may require the candidate to pay the balance of the cost incurred. In the event of the overpayment, the clerk shall prorate the excess amount among the candidates and refund the excess amount paid within 30 days of the election or upon receipt of County invoices.
SECTION 6. MISCELLANEOUS.
A) All translations shall be provided by professionally certified translators.
B) The City Clerk shall allow standard formatting to the same extent and manner as allowed in previous City elections.
C) The City Clerk shall comply with the recommendations and standards set forth by the California Secretary of State regarding occupational designations and other matters related to elections.
SECTION 7. ADDITIONAL MATERIALS.
No candidate will be permitted to include additional materials in the voter information pamphlet.
SECTION 8. That this resolution shall apply at the next ensuing general municipal or special municipal election and at each general municipal or special municipal election until repealed.
SECTION 9. All resolutions or parts of resolutions, specifically Resolution No. 2014-64 not consistent with or in conflict with this resolution are hereby repealed.
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Resolution No. 2024-024
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SECTION 10. The Deputy City Clerk shall certify the passage and adoption of this resolution and enter it into the book of original resolutions.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED November 5, 2024.
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JUDITH MERLO, Mayor
ATTEST:
YONNIE PARKER, Deputy City Clerk
(seal)
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
ZAYNAH N. MOUSSA, City Attorney