Fail: 16,833 / 42.55% Yes votes ...... 22,727 / 57.45% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Official Sources of Information

• Official Election Web Site

Background. This measure is an Advisory Vote only, asking for general voter opinion on a proposal to add two Council residency districts in the City of Elk Grove, which will increase the size of the City Council of the City of Elk Grove ("Council") from five to seven members.

Since incorporation, the City of Elk Grove has been governed by a five-member Council. Commencing with the 2002 election, Council members have been elected "from district". This means that a candidate for Council must live within a certain geographic area of the City, but is subject to vote by all registered voters of the City.

On the ballot with Measure K is a measure that, if passed, would create the office of an elective Mayor. If the office of elected Mayor is created, the City would generally designate one of the existing Council seats for the elected Mayor, resulting in a Council made up of four Council Members and the elected Mayor. Because the City of Elk Grove will be adjusting or creating new districts in 2011, and because of the potential to have the newly created position of elected Mayor, the Council has placed this advisory question to determine whether the residents of Elk Grove wish to maintain a Council of five members (four Council Members and the elected Mayor) or to expand the Council to a total of seven members (six Council Members and the Elected Mayor).

Effect. Measure N is an advisory measure only. If the office of elected Mayor is established, the number of districts must change. The Council is seeking community input on the future size of the Council as districts for the 2012 election are being evaluated. The measure is advisory only because the City does not yet know what the boundaries of the district and an elected mayor configuration would be; any changes to the current five residency district configuration is subject to vote by all registered voters of the City.

Following completion of the redistricting for the 2012 election, the Council may bring back one or more proposals to the voters regarding the actual district boundaries.

A "YES" vote is a vote to advise the Council to consider the creation of six council districts for a seven-member Council.

A "NO" vote is a vote not to advise the Council to consider the creation of six council districts for a total of seven members on the Council if the office of elected Mayor is created, but to retain a Council of five members (four Council Members and the Mayor).

FISCAL IMPACT

To establish new districts to accommodate the office of elected Mayor in time for the November 2012 election, the City would need to consolidate with a special election, incurring an estimated one-time cost of $60,000. The addition of two Council seats has an expected annual cost of $80,000 to provide compensation and operational expenses for the new Council members, and would add an additional election contest cost of $9,000 every two year cycle.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan Burns Cochran, City Attorney