This is an archive of a past election.
See http://www.smartvoter.org/ca/ed/ for current information.
LWV League of Women Voters of California Education Fund
Smart Voter
El Dorado County, CA November 8, 2005 Election
Measure Q
Incorporation
Proposed City of El Dorado Hills
Initiative regarding Incorporation as city - Majority Approval Required
Elected at Large 6771 votes 64.0%
Elected by Council District 3794 votes 35.9%

See Also: Index of all Measures
Results as of Jan 28 2:40pm, 100.0% of Precincts Reporting (21/21)
Information shown below: Yes/No Meaning | Impartial Analysis | Arguments | Full Text

Shall members of the City Council of the City of El Dorado Hills be elected in future elections at-large or by district?

Meaning of Voting Yes/No
A YES vote on this measure means:
#1: City Council members shall be elected in the future At Large

#2: City Council members shall be elected in the future by District

Impartial Analysis from Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO)
If a majority of the voters approve Measure P, the incorporation of the City of El Dorado Hills, the voters will also need to determine the manner in which future city council members are to be elected -- either "at large" or "by district." While the initial council to be elected at this election shall be elected at large by all of the voters, State law requires that the voters also determine in this election the future manner of election of city council members.

"At Large" means that all voters within the new City would be eligible to vote for all candidates, regardless of the residence location of the candidate or the voter.

"By District" means that the City would be divided geographically into five (5) districts with approximately equal numbers of voters in each district. Each candidate for City Council would need to run for a specific district council seat within the City and would be required to be a resident of that district. The registered voters within each district could only vote for one of the candidates running for that district council seat.

Please vote for one of the two methods of election of future city councils. The vote on this Measure Q shall only be effective if Measure P, the incorporation of the City, passes.

  
Suggest a link related to Measure Q
Links to sources outside of Smart Voter are provided for information only and do not imply endorsement.

Arguments For Measure Q Arguments Against Measure Q
Vote for "at large" elections on Measure Q in order to vote for the broadest range of City Council candidates in subsequent elections if El Dorado Hills incorporates. At large means you can vote for up to five candidates, regardless of where you and the candidates reside in the City of El Dorado Hills. This approach ensures that City Council members act in the best interests of the whole community, not special interests.

We vigorously oppose voting "by district," which would limit voter choice. It would divide our new city into five, comparably sized districts. In each district, voters could vote only for one candidate running for that district seat. Both voters and candidates would face significant limitations under this system.

Typically, only large cities, like the City of Sacramento, elect their council members by district. Virtually all other cities in Sacramento, Placer, and El Dorado Counties elect their council members at large.

At large voting will give El Dorado Hills voters more choice and will make City Council members accountable to the entire community, not to the special interests of a given district. Under this system, City Council seats will be non-partisan, and therefore will not fall under political pressures for "districting" in the future.

We urge you to vote for at large voting, which will result in more choice, more accountability and more integrity for our new city.

s/ Harry Norris
Director, El Dorado Irrigation District
Local Business Owner
s/ Wayne Lowery
General Manager, El Dorado Hills Community Services District
s/ Joe Chinn
President, Board of Directors, El Dorado Hills Community Services District
s/ Mike Hewitt
Chairman, Yes on Cityhood / Yes on Measure P Committee

No argument against Measure Q was submitted

Full Text of Measure Q
(Full text of this measure is shared with Measure P)

El Dorado Home Page || Statewide Links || About Smart Voter || Feedback
Created: January 28, 2006 14:40 PST
Smart Voter <http://www.smartvoter.org/>
Copyright © League of Women Voters of California Education Fund   http://www.lwvc.org
The League of Women Voters neither supports nor opposes candidates for public office or political parties.