HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnonymous (Item 7) From: nore00@aranicusideas.com
To: Yasuda.Erica;Woodward.Carrie;City Clerk; E-Comments
Subject: New eComment for Regular Meeting of the City Council/Public Hearing#1 Regarding Proposed Transition to District
Elections
Date: Tuesday,September 7,20216:10:01 PM
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New eComment for Regular Meeting of the City
Council/Public Hearing #1 Regarding Proposed
Transition to District Elections
Guest User submitted a new eComment.
Meeting: Regular Meeting of the City Council/Public Hearing #1 Regarding Proposed Transition
to District Elections
Item: 7. RESOLUTION 21-78 CONFIRMING THE CITY COUNCIL'S INTENTION TO
TRANSITION FROM AT-LARGE TO DISTRICT ELECTIONS AND REJECTING MALDEF'S
CONDITIONS FOR EXTENDING THE PUBLIC OUTREACH PERIOD On August 3, 2021, the
City Council adopted Resolution No. 21-64 declaring its intention to transition from at-large to
district elections within a 90-day Safe Harbor period pursuant to the Elections Code and
authorized the City Manager to approve and execute an agreement with Mexican American
Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) to extend by an additional 90 days the deadline
to adopt an ordinance establishing districtbased elections to provide additional time to conduct
public outreach, encourage public participation, and receive public input. Unexpectedly, on
August 16, 2021, MALDEF conditioned agreeing to the extension upon terms that raise
significant issues of compliance with State and Federal law. Despite having had numerous
conversations with MALDEF over the past several months regarding the City's utilization of an
extension agreement, including the attached email dated July 29, 2021, MALDEF previously
made no mention of the extension being subject to additional material demands (see attached
email).
eComment: It is interesting that the Tustin City Council is taking steps to launch by-district
elections by November 2022 to avoid a lawsuit by MALDEF. It seems that MALDEF should
examine why there has been only one Latino candidate elected to the city council in the last 20
years. The fact is that there have only been three Latino candidates for city council in the last 10
elections spanning 20 years. Councilmember Gomez has won election three times. There have
been no other Latino candidates for city council during the years from 2002-2020. In reality, it is
a matter of residents stepping up to the plate and running for local office. It would behoove
MALDEF to encourage Latino candidates to run for local office rather than threaten the City of
Tustin with a lawsuit.
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