Arcadia voters will have an opportunity to vote for a change in the city charter at the April 10 election. A majority vote will be required to elect future members to the City Council of amendment is passed.
Two Charter amendments will be on the April 9th ballot: 1. Would increase from 2 to 3 the number of consecutive 4 year terms a Councilman may serve and change the residence requirement from 2 years to 1. 2. Provides for a municipal election in February with offices to be filled by those candidates who receive the highest number of votes. However, if no candidate receives at least 40% of the votes cast, a run-off election would be held in April.
Results of a recount of ballots cast in the recent Arcadia City Council election confirmed the original vote. Johanna A.M. Hofer, a candidate in the election, ordered the recount.
Candidates discuss their positions on charter change at a forum presented by the Arcadia Republican Women's Club last week. The amendment will be on the April 10 ballot.
Former mayor Jim Helms proposed a charter change that would require a runoff election if no candidate for City Council received at least 50 percent of the vote. In the last election, no candidate received 50 percent.
Don't forget to send in your ballots, Arcadians. The April 10 Arcadia City Council election ballots were sent to all registered voters on March 12. Voters can mail them or drop them off at Arcadia City Hall, 240 W. Huntington Drive. Brief summary of each candidate is given.
City of Arcadia to place three measures on November 8, 2022 ballot. 1. Proposed City Charter Amendment Measure. The City Charter was last amended in 1998. The citizen-led Charter Review Committee recommends updates to mirror changes in state laws since 1998 and to reflect current local government standards, to include a) mirroring changes in state laws to increase voter turnout by moving the date of regularly scheduled city council elections from April in even-numbered years to the November Statewide General Election in even-numbered years. b) recognizing the city's change to by-district elections as required by California Voting Rights Act. c) Creating a rotation of mayor and mayor pro tem positions every 9.5 months to allow all council members to serve during their term. d) Change position of City Clerk from elected to appointed. e) other amendments to streamline government, utilize technology and increase transparency. 2. Two measures to increase locally controlled funding. One measure would increase Arcadia's local tax on stays at hotels and motels from 10% to 12%--similar rate to many neighboring cities. The other measure would enact a local tax on sports wagers if sports betting becomes legal in California through State Proposition 26, also on the November ballot
Arcadia City Council elections to be held on Tuesday April 14, 2020. This will not be a district-wide election. Only registered voters in Districts 1 and 4 will receive a vote-by-mail ballot beginning March 16, 2020. Completed ballots must be postmarked by April 14, 2020. The candidates are District 1: April Verlato and Yuli Sira and in District 4: Paul Cheng and Peter Amundson.
Voter turnout was the lowest in recent memory for a municipal election, according to some Arcadia precinct workers. 5,044 out of 26,595 voters cast ballots for a 19% turnout.
Proposition D is a ballot initiative scheduled for the city's April 1996 ballot. It is designed to update the City's charter and would make the library a city department. If passed, Proposition D would reduce some of the library board's power and make the city librarian responsible to the city manager.
Arcadia vote-by-mail ballots contain translation error in Chinese-language instructions which could cause some votes to be invalidated. Five candidates vie for the two seats on Arcadia City Council in this April's General Municipal Election, but erroneous instructions in Chinese language said to choose up to three candidates.
James Helms' City Council seat will be "up for grabs" as the city Charter prohibits more than 2 consecutive terms. Also, Dr. Alton Scott's seat will be available as he has announced that he will not seek re-election. Candidates may pick up nomination papers on January 15 and must file by noon on February 5 for the April election.
Deadline to return Arcadia ballots is Tuesday, April 10, 2018, 8:00 PM, in person, at City Clerk's office. Ballots postmarked April 10 must be received on or before April 13 to count.
Arcadia certifies city council election victories for John Wuo and Gary A. Kovacic. The results were certified this week after election officials were able to verify and count 661 of the remaining 681 ballots of the April 10 election. There were 105 ballots that had to be disqualified because voters selected more than 2 candidates in the all-mail election. At least some of those were caused by an error in the ballots' Chinese-language instructions that directed voters to select no more than 3 instead of 2 candidates, prompting the city to send out correction notices. Gene Glasco was elected City Clerk. Measure D, the hotel room tax, passed.
A "doomsday" budget is being studied and capital improvements postponed until it is seen whether the Jarvis Amendment (Proposition 13) on the June ballot passes.