The Arcadia branch of the Red Cross, originally chartered in 1948, was rechartered last October as one of 2250 national branch offices. The Red Cross is run by volunteers, with no funding from the government.
Arcadia City Council has decided to leave in place a city policy that imposes term limits for serving on City Council, restricting residents from running for more than two consecutive council terms. Had council voted to remove the restrictions, local voters would have had a chance to vote on term limits as a local ballot measure. Arcadia's city charter requires council members who have served two consecutive 4-year terms to take a 2-year break before they can run again for another term.
Arcadia City Council will discuss whether a measure to end term limits should be placed on a future citywide ballot. The City Charter requires council members that have served two consecutive four-year terms to take a two-year break before they can serve another term. The charter can only be amended by a voter approved measure.
Arcadia seeking volunteers for charter review committee to update the City's charter, a document that defines the organization, its powers, functions and essential procedures. Last review update was 1998.
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.
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.
Charles Cooper continues his Arcadia city centennial series "Memories of Arcadia" with a story about Arcadia's mayors. A. N. Multer was the first person to be given the title of mayor of Arcadia. City founder Elias J. "Lucky" Baldwin was the city's first presiding officer, but he held the title of president of the Board of Trustees. The title of mayor was not adopted until 1927, when the Board of Trustees changed to the City Council. Arcadia will have 4 mayors this year to mark the city's centennial. Each city council member will rotate into the position. More interesting facts: Floretta Lauber was the first woman to serve as mayor. She paved the way for Mary Young, Barbara Kuhn, and Gail Marshall to follow. Other history of mayors is recapped. The first city manager was William J. Richards in 1951, when a charter was adopted. The longest serving city official was City Clerk Christine Van Mannen, who held the job for 32 years. See hard copy in VF Arcadia (City) History.
A charter amendment providing that council candidates in order to win must have a majority of votes cast or face a run-off will be on Arcadians' ballots in December 13 election, if there is an election.
Charter Oak Tree -- This tree was named for its presumed resemblance to the historical Charter Oak in Connecticut. According to legend, Don San Antonio, a Mexican official, fled from the Americans during the California - U.S. War carrying a captured flag, important papers and some gold; with the Am…
Charter Oak Tree -- This tree was named for its presumed resemblance to the historical Charter Oak in Connecticut. According to legend, Don San Antonio, a Mexican official, fled from the Americans during the California - U.S. War carrying a captured flag, important papers and some gold; with the Americans in pursuit, he cached the valuables at the broad base of this great tree.
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
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.
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.
Lawsuit filed against the City of Arcadia seeking an injunction against Mayor Sho Tay running for re-election on the November 2022 ballot. The City of Arcadia Charter limits City Council to two consecutive terms. He was appointed to City Council in 2018 when he ran unopposed for District 3. The suit challenges whether or not the term limits apply to Mayor Sho Tay, who is running for a third time.
Longtime Arcadia City Clerk Gene Glasco retires. Glasco has served 12 years as its elected City Clerk. In 2022, Arcadia voters approved an update to the City Charter that eliminated the position of the elected City Clerk. With Glasco's retirement, the City Manager will appoint a City Clerk. Most of the traditional City Clerk duties are currently performed by professional staff in the City Manager's Office, ensuring uninterrupted service to the public. Photo of Glasco with Arcadia City Council. See press release dated April 18, 2024 in VF for full-text.