The Colton City Council recently had a meeting to discuss the City’s governance structure that would reduce the number of City Council electoral districts. As of right now Colton City Council currently consists of six (6) members who are elected by districts with an at-large elected Mayor.
Back in March and May of this year the council asked staff to prepare an amendment to the Colton Municipal Code to reduce the number of City Council districts from six to four while retaining an at-large elected Mayor.
Facing a change like this will require an approval by a majority vote of the qualified electors of the city voting at a municipal election. But wait, before the measure can even be submitted to a vote, California Government Code Section 34874 requires that: “No amendatory ordinance altering the boundaries of the legislative districts established pursuant to this article shall be submitted to the registered voters until the ordinance has been submitted to the planning commission of the city…”
This is what the recent council meeting was for on July 10th. The Planning Commission discussed retaining the services of National Demographics Corporation (NDC) to prepare draft electoral district maps adjusting the boundaries of the districts to thereby reduce the number of electoral districts.
In the minutes from the meeting it states, “Once the City Council determines the appropriate map to place before the voters, it can be considered by the Planning Commission for an examination as to the definiteness and certainty of the boundaries of the districts proposed.”
It also states, “The amendatory ordinance [adopting the electoral map] shall not be
submitted to the voters if:
A. one or more of the legislative districts do not close;
B. one or more entire legislative districts are eliminated prior to the
termination of the term of office of the council member of or from the district,
C. the effect is that a greater number of council members will be
qualified to hold office concurrently than are authorized by this article or the amendatory
Ordinance.”
This change will not be done drastically. Instead, the city plans on “phasing it in.” Terms of Council members elected in November, 2016 and November, 2018 will not be affected – they will continue to serve full four-year terms. However, in November, 2020, the amendatory ordinance shortens certain City Council terms from four years to two years (expiring in 2022).
As a result of the “phasing in” as described above, the City Council will consist of six members from six districts (with an at-large Mayor) until the November, 2022 general municipal election. On and after the November, 2022 general municipal election, the six current districts will be reduced to four.
The amendatory ordinance subsequently shortens certain other City Council terms from four years to two years in order to resume staggered elections for these offices per the City’s standard practice.
If you would like additional information about this you can visit the cities website.