Input Sought On District-Based Elections In Half Moon Bay

From HMB City: Thank you to those who attended the first public hearing on the City's transition to district-based elections on May 15! Please stay involved - and for those who have not yet participated, the City needs your input.

• Visit www.drawhmb.org for more information and tools to outline your ideas for district boundaries or call 650-726-8266 to requeset a paper map kit; submit maps by June 8
• Email input to Jessica Blair, City Clerk, at jblair@hmbcity.com
• Drop off or mail input to City Hall, 501 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
• Attend and participate in a public hearing (next hearing is June 5, 7 pm)

The purpose of the May 15 hearing was to gather initial public comment about the possible criteria and boundaries for districts, as well about the proposed number of districts to be created. The City Council directed staff to move forward with a four-district approach, with the mayor being elected at-large. This means that each of four council members would be elected by voters within that candidate's district, while the mayor would be elected by all voters within the City.

One of the specific questions for you right now is about the desired term of the at-large elected mayor: should the mayor's term be two years, or four years?

Please provide your thoughts on that question, via one of the input methods shown above, and plan on attending and participating in the next public hearing:
Tuesday, June 5, 2018, 7 pm
Ted Adcock Community Center
535 Kelly Avenue

The first two hearings are to receive public input on how the draft maps should be drawn. After the June 5 hearing, draft maps will be drawn and posted for public review. Two additional public hearings (scheduled for June 19 and July 17) will provide an opportunity for public comment on the draft maps.

One of the key reasons that the City is proceeding with district-based elections is the threat of significant litigation. Most of the California cities that have transitioned in the last few years have done so as a result of legal challenges brought under the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA). Earlier this year, Half Moon Bay received a Notice of Violation of the CVRA from a southern California law firm, which has also sent such notices to dozens of other cities. Faced with potentially hundreds-of-thousands, or even millions, of dollars in legal fees and damages (as some cities have experienced), Half Moon Bay decided to voluntarily proceed with transitioning to district-based elections.

The intent of District-based elections is to give all legitimate groups, particularly minority groups, a better chance of being fairly represented on a city council. An allegation of a CVRA violation does not imply that the City is acting in a discriminatory manner. Rather, it is an allegation that the overall electoral system within the city is resulting in the disenfranchisement of minority voters.

Background information and periodic updates are on the City's website at www.hmbcity.com/districts.

Image Via Shuttershock