I. RECOMMENDATION:
There is no staff recommendation. This was a Future Agenda Item requested by Councilman Adkisson.
II. BACKGROUND:
This was initially requested as a Future Agenda by Councilman Adkisson at the May 6, 2021 City Council Meeting.
At the June 3, 2021, City Council meeting, the vote was split 2-2 with the Mayor being absent.
The item then came back to Council at the July 1, 2021, City Council meeting with a 3-2 vote to place this item on the ballot for the special recall election scheduled for September 14, 2021.
On July 6, 2021, the City was informed its Resolution to place this item on the ballot was rejected by the County of Fresno Registrar of Voters.
Under guidance issued by the Secretary of State on July 2, 2021, after the Council voted to place this item on the ballot, the provisions of Elections Code 10406 do not apply because this gubernatorial recall election was not called by the Governor and there is not a statute calling for a statewide special election.
The election was called by Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, therefore, Elections Code 10406 does not apply and the City is prevented from consolidating the at-large Mayor election with the recall of Governor Newsom.
III. DISCUSSION:
Councilman Adkisson has requested this item to be placed on the agenda to discuss the at-large Mayor item being placed on the November 2022 election ballot since it was rejected on the September 14, 2021 recall election ballot.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
1. Do not place it on the November 2022 ballot
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
Fresno County Registrar of Voters did not prepare a cost estimate since this item would be over a year away, but staff's best estimate, based on actual past election costs when Measure J was placed on the ballot during a regular election year, is $4,000 to the City's General Fund. | | |