Under threat of an expensive lawsuit, government agencies will start discussing changing the way they elect members to their governing boards. Council members for Twentynine Palms, Yucca Valley, the school district, and area water districts are all “at large,” meaning that they are elected by the entire city, and not by a specific district within the city. The attorneys who threatened the lawsuit against Twentynine Palms argue that the city’s at-large system dilutes the ability of Latinos—who make up nearly 20 percent of the city’s population—to elect candidates of their choice or otherwise influence the outcome of the Twentynine Palms council elections. As evidence, they cite that in the last 22 years only two Latinos ran for election, and only one—Elaine Bernal—was elected to the council. The attorneys have successfully sued 27 California cities and in each case, the cities had to change to district-based elections. State law requires that the losing party pay the legal fees of the prevailing lawyers, which in the case of Palmdale, was $4.5 million. With more about the Twentynine Palms city council meeting tonight, here’s managing editor Tami Roleff…
The Twentynine Palms City Council will discuss at its regular meeting tonight changing its development code to allow massage establishments in general commercial districts as long as they have a conditional use permit. Threatened by an expensive lawsuit, the council will hold a public hearing on changing its elections from “at large” to district-based voting, and then will be asked to begin the process to make the change. And finally, the council will be asked to authorize an agreement with an engineering firm to study the feasibility of a joint sewer project with the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in council chambers in City Hall on Adobe Road in Twentynine Palms.
TWENTYNINE PALMS COUNCIL DISCUSSES CHANGING FROM AT-LARGE TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS
