TITLE
Recommendation to request that a meeting of the Charter Amendment Committee be scheduled to consider a ballot measure for 2012 moving City elections to align with the State cycle of June/November.
DISCUSSION
Currently, Long Beach holds elections every two years at April and June, while the State holds elections every two years at June and November. In the past, some residents and elected officials have raised the idea of aligning our election cycle with the state schedule.
In November of 2010, the Elections Oversight Committee of the City of Long Beach considered adopting this policy in Long Beach. At that meeting, the City clerk reported on the issue. Some California cities align their election cycles with the State's, and combine many elections operations with County and State operations, resulting in a monetary saving to the cities, but with other possible disadvantages, as reported by the clerk. The Clerk noted that the County was not currently able to consolidate operations with the City's operations, but is expected to be abel to in the future. There are also ways to align the election cycles without combining operations. The EOC Committee voted to hold the item for further consideration at a future time.
With the City continuing to seek cost-saving measures and expand citizen participation, there is no reason to delay more conclusive examinations of this policy. The Council acting as the full Charter Amendment Committee, should carefully revisit city and state election alignment.
That discussion should also include a full briefing from the County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with this action.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
COUNCILMEMBER ROBERT GARCIA
FIRST DISTRICT
COUNCILWOMAN GERRIE SCHIPSKE
FIFTH DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER STEVEN NEAL
NINTH DISTRICT