[CRNMC] County Charter

[Norman de Vall]

Good Morning All…..

Robins report of our telephone call is pretty close
and following are my comments to fill in the blanks:


On Nov 29, 2014, at 11:54 PM, bodhirobin at pacific.net wrote:

> Also, I spoke to Norm DeVall.  
	Norman de Vall
> He said when
> he was a county supervisor, 1979-1995  that he wanted to get a charter 
> going
> but couldn't recruit enough support from others, but it never got off the
> ground.  
> Norm said that he had communicated with the people 
Al Barbero, 1st Dist. Supervisor in '79 shared this info
I researched the charter election with the Election Div. of the
County Clerk-Recorder but records had not been retained.
> who had
> been involved with 
> the previous charter effort back in the '50's. 
> It lost by 1 vote.  
> 
> Norm said the "Big 4" always
> oppose it.  
The Big 4 has only emerged as a "voice"
recently.
> 1) The North Coast Builders Exchange
> 2) The
> Employers Council
> 3) Farm Bureau
> 4) Board of Realtors
> 
> Norm said they asked for an "Economic Impact Report" before
> putting a charter on 
> the ballot.
Jared Carter raised the need for an EIR when there was a 
serious effort to incorporate the town of Mendocino in the
1980's.  Supported by the residents and opposed by the
commercial folks, the opposition was successful when the
cost of an EIR could not be raised by the supporters.
>   He suggests we find out if we will
> need one, or that was an obstacle 
> invented by the Big 4.  
> 
> Norm wants to have a dinner at his house in Elk with 6 advocates of a
> county charter.
> He also wants to know more about the public bank.  He
> asked who could tell him more.  
> I said I could but I think he needs
> to hear it from someone more authoritative than me.  
I've read a number of county charters, all of which clearly
state their objectives.  My suggestion is that we begin
by asking:  "Why are we doing this?".

My thinking in 1980 was to have the charter focused
on creating a sustainable environment.  
> Maybe Marc
> Armstrong?  Locally, no one knows more about it than me, Ellen or
> Agnes.
> 
> It looks like the CA Government Code states that 2
> things go on the 
> ballot together.  One is the charter question
> stated in GC34453, and 
> the other are the individuals who are running
> for election to the 
> Charter Commission.  
> 
> Each person
> running for the Charter Commission has to get on the ballot
> the same
> way I got on the ballot to run for Assessor, with a petition 
> of
> voters' signatures.  If the charter question fails, it doesn't matter
> who got elected to the Commission.  But if the charter question
> passes
> with 50% +1 votes, then the 15 best voted candidates become
> Commissioners. 
> 
> Sounds like a bonanza of fees to the county,
> having a ballot measure and 
> 15+ candidates all paying fees to run
> for election.  The statute does say
> that the government has to foot
> the bill for the election.  
> 
> It keeps
> saying "for a city or a city and county."  Nothing here 
> mentions a county alone.  I wonder if these are the wrong statues?
>  
> 
> In Peace, Robin
> 
> 
> 34450.  Any city or city and county may enact, amend, or repeal a
> 
> charter for its own government according to this article or 
> Article 3 (commencing with Section 9255) of Chapter 3 of 
> Division
> 9 of the Elections Code.  34451.  The charter may be 
> proposed by a
> charter commission chosen by the voters of the city 
> or city and
> county, at any general or special election, but no 
> person shall be
> eligible as a candidate for the commission unless 
> he or she is a
> registered voter of the city or city and county.  
> 
> 34452.  (a)
> An election for choosing charter commissioners may be 
> called by a
> majority vote of the governing body of a city or city 
> and county, or
> on presentation of a
> petition signed by not less 
> than 15 percent of the registered voters
> of the city or city and 
> county. The petition shall be
> verified by the authority having charge
>  of the registration
> records of the city or city and county and the 
> expenses of the
> verification shall be provided by the governing body 
> thereof. The
> governing body shall call an election pursuant to 
> Sections 1000 and
> 10403 of the Elections Code.    
> (b) If any vacancy arises in a
> charter commission established for a 
> city or city and county
> pursuant to this chapter, the vacancy shall 
> be filled by an
> appointment by the mayor of the city or city and 
> county. 
> 
> 34453.  At an election the voters shall vote first on the question 
> "Shall a charter commission be elected to propose a new
> charter?" and, 
> secondly, for the candidates of the office of
> charter commissioner. 
> If the first question receives a majority of
> the votes of the qualified 
> voters voting thereon at the election,
> the 15 candidates for the office 
> of charter commissioner receiving
> the highest number of votes shall 
> forthwith organize as a charter
> commission. However, if the first 
> question receives less than a
> majority of the votes of the qualified 
> voters voting thereon at the
> election no charter commission shall be 
> deemed to have been elected.
>  
> 
> 34454.  Candidates for the office of charter commissioner
> shall be 
> nominated either in the same manner provided for the
> nomination of 
> officers of the municipal or city and county
> government, or by 
> petition substantially in the same manner provided
> by general laws 
> for the nomination by petition of candidates for
> public offices to 
> be voted for at general elections.
> <untitled-[2].html>

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