182,054 / 61.5% Yes votes ...... 114,191 / 38.5% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

ANN MILLER RAVEL	By: SUSAN G. LEVENBERG
County Counsel	Chief Deputy County Counsel

BLANCA ALVARADO,	CHUCK REED,
Chairperson, Board of Supervisors	Chairperson, Charter Review Committee

So, why was this measure placed on the ballot? Proponents explain that dropping the reference to "judges of the justice court" should have been included in the "clean up" amendments presented to voters in June 1998.

But that does not explain why an unnecessary change is presented now - on the November 1998 ballot - with other important, far-reaching measures on the same county ballot. Perhaps that is the answer.

County Measure D would make some rather serious changes to the Charter provision which controls county commissions and boards. It would drop the Charter requirement, for example, that all commission meetings be "open to the public."

County Measure E would replace the voter-approved two-term limit with a three-term limit for County Supervisors. In a few years, maybe they will then propose a four-term limit and later, a five-term limit!

And County Measure F appears to authorize the election of County Supervisors by plurality (not a majority) - eliminating runoff elections and virtually assuring that no incumbent would ever be defeated in a re-election bid.

This measure (B) may well have been placed on the ballot by County Supervisors just to distract voters from other, important measures.

MELVIN L. EMERICH
Attorney at Law

The proposed change is not necessary because we have not had "justice courts" in Santa Clara County for many years.

So, should we vote "yes" or "no" on this unnecessary amendment?

Perhaps by voting "no," voters can send the message to members of the County Board of Supervisors that they should stop wasting money and distracting voters with unnecessary ballot measures.

MELVIN L. EMERICH

BLANCA ALVARADO	CHUCK REED
Chairperson, Board of Supervisors	Chairperson, Charter Review Committee

Amendments in Article VII:

Section 712. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, elective and appointive officers and employees serving with compensation are prohibited from engaging in any private practice or business during the regular business hours specified for the performance of their duties and during such hours they shall devote all their time to the duties of their respective positions. This section shall not apply to members of the Board of Supervisors, judges of justice courts, or to officers or employees exempted by the administrative code.