1,708 / 44.0% Yes votes ...... 2177 / 56.0% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

The effect of the measure is to allow the incumbent City Council members from Districts 3 and 4 to run for the office of Mayor without having a conflict as to their opportunity to run for re-election to the City Council in the event the election for Mayor requires a run-off. The City Charter requires that the run-off election shall be held no more than 70 days after the election. Such an election would normally occur in January following the November election. An incumbent City Council member from District 3 or 4 would be required to file nomination papers, if seeking re-election, during the first week in January. This could result in an incumbent City Council member filing nomination papers for re-election at the same time that he or she is on the ballot for a Mayoral run-off election. Existing law does not prohibit a person from filing nomination papers to run for another City office while he or she is a candidate in the Mayoral runoff election.

The fiscal impact of changing the election from November to April is estimated by the City Clerk to be approximately $40,000 per election.

City of Inglewood

All members of the City Council do not currently have an equal opportunity to seek the Office of Mayor. As it is today, Councilmembers from District Three or Four—if they were to qualify for a mayoral runoff election—would have to give up their seat on the Council as they cannot run for two offices simultaneously. This disparity in how Council representatives are affected must be corrected.

Public Benefit: By moving the mayor's election to April 2006, all members of the Council would have an opportunity to seek the Office of Mayor under equal conditions. A secondary but equally important issue is that the control of the election would be returned to the Inglewood City Clerk's Office. Since 1982 it has been outsourced to Los Angeles County. The election of the chief executive of the City of Inglewood is the most important election in the City. It warrants the attention of the electorate.

Fiscal Impact: The City's election consultant billed the City $51,000 for the last municipal election that utilized one uniform ballot. In November 2002, the date of the last mayoral race which was consolidated with the County, the cost to the City was $33,780. In the event of a runoff election, the cost to the City would be the same in either case (municipal election or consolidated election) as both would require a municipal election.

The term of office for the successful mayoral candidate in the April 2006 election will commence when the current mayor's term expires.

Measure 05-A is about fairness. We ask that you join us in supporting Measure 05-A.

/s/ Councilman Curren D. Price, Jr.
Councilman Eloy Morales, Jr.
Councilwoman Judy Dunlap
Councilman Ralph L. Franklin

Currently, the Mayor's election is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The City Council can set any runoff election within 70 days of the November election. The runoff election can either be set before the Council filing period opens OR it can be set for a later date within the 70-day period.

If a Councilmember from District 3 or 4 is in a mayoral runoff election and wants to file for re-election to their council seat, they can already do so. Under the current City Charter provisions, nothing prevents them from participating in a runoff AND filing for re-election.

If they win the runoff for Mayor, they would resign their Council seat AND withdraw from the Council election. If they lose the runoff, they would continue to serve as the Councilperson AND could file or continue to run for reelection to their Council seat.

Approving this Measure creates an expensive new election, voters are inconvenienced, the Mayor's election is isolated and will cause up to 20,000 FEWER people to vote for Mayor. THIS MAKES NO SENSE AND IS A WASTE OF TAXPAYER'S MONEY.

Electing the Mayor in November with other State and County officers guarantees that the maximum number of voters will turnout to cast ballots for Inglewood's highest elected office.

/s/
Roosevelt F. Dorn
Mayor of the City of Inglewood

CLAIM: Mayor's election date must change to maintain the City Clerk's "control" over Mayoral elections.

FACT: The Clerk ALWAYS has control over municipal elections, including November's mayoral election. The Clerk hires firms to provide election assistance. In November, the County of Los Angeles conducts countywide elections. The Clerk hires the County to provide the assistance a private firm usually performs.

CLAIM: District #3 and 4 Councilmembers cannot run for re-election if they participate in a Mayoral election requiring a runoff election.

FACT: NOT TRUE! The Charter requires the runoff to "...be held no more than seventy days after..." the November election. The City Council sets the runoff date. A runoff can be held in early December --- 30 days after the November election. All Councilmembers can run for Mayor without jeopardizing their ability to represent their districts.

CLAIM: Voters must "focus" solely on the mayoral election when selecting a mayor.

FACT: Democracy works best when there is maximum participation! The last April mayoral election resulted in 8,927 votes being cast for Mayor vs. 23,895 votes cast in the November election. April elections guarantees the SMALLEST turnout of possible voters. Measure 05-A REDUCES the number of voters selecting the most important municipal officer!

None of the other cities in California conducts mayoral elections at a time when no other issue or candidate is on the ballot, because to do so would LIMIT the number of voters selecting the most important office in their cities! Why would any city want to do that? Why would YOU want to do that? It simply makes no sense!

Don't be deceived! Don't be bamboozled! Don't reduce participation in the Democratic process!

VOTE NO ON MEASURE 05-A

/s/
Roosevelt F. Dorn
Mayor

Tony Muhammad
Western Regional Minister Nation of Islam

Those opposing Measure 05-A claim that if a runoff election for mayor is needed, it can be done within thirty (30) days. This is impractical if not impossible. It takes time for the results of the General Election to be certified and adopted by the City Council; new ballot statements to be submitted by candidates; preparation, printing and mailing of sample ballots; time for verification and certification of absentee ballot applications (timeframe— 28 days); with some leeway in case of election challenges. Voters would also be very unhappy about its government conducting an election during the holiday period from Thanksgiving to Christmas. And equally important, because of the holiday season, turnout would be dismal.

Those opposing Measure 05-A admit that all Councilmembers cannot currently seek the Office of Mayor without having to give up their seat on the Council if they are in a runoff. Let's fix the problem.

Vote YES on Measure 05-A.

/s/
Councilman Curren D. Price Jr., District #1
Councilwoman Judy Dunlap, District #2
Councilman Eloy Morales, Jr., District #3
Councilman Ralph L. Franklin, District #4
Commissioner George Gerard, Charter Study Commission

"Section 1. Except as otherwise provided in this Charter, any election to be known as a general municipal election shall be held in said City of Inglewood on the first Tuesday in April of each odd numbered year for the filling of such elective offices the terms of the incumbents of which expire in such year.

Beginning in 2006, the regular election for the Mayor shall be conducted in every other even numbered year on the first Tuesday in April; provided, however, that the first Mayor to be so elected shall not begin his/her term of office until the conclusion of the then incumbent's term. Thereafter, the Mayor duly elected pursuant to this Charter shall hold office for four years and until his/her successor is elected and qualified.