LAR SURVEY RESULTS - SURVEY CONDUCTED JUNE 18 THROUGH JULY 12, 2024
Los Altos Forced to Divide City
into Voting Districts
First Meeting this Tuesday, June 11, at 6:00pm.
You can only provide input if you attend in person at Council Chambers. No comments allowed on Zoom.
https://losaltosca-gov.zoom.us/j/84080988466pwd=tWuDERVX81tgE57lDdQONK7bmkaR5P.1
Telephone: 1-669-444-9171 / Webinar ID: 840 8098 8466 / Passcode: 777901
You can provide written comments in advance to PublicComments@losaltosca.gov
Background:
On April 14, Kevin Shenkman, a Malibu attorney, threatened legal action against the city unless it changes its elections from at-large (all residents vote for candidates from across the city) to district-based (residents vote for only one candidate from their district).
He claims our current at-large voting process violates the California Voting Rights Act (CVRA) by discriminating against Asians, who make up 36.8% of Los Altos’ residents.
Shenkman has forced many cities, agencies and school boards to change their election process. Each warning letter “earns” him a $30,000 legal fee. The San Francisco Chronicle estimates he and his colleagues have collected more than $15 million over the years. Every city that fought back lost and lost millions in legal fees.
On May 28, Council reluctantly voted to transition from at-large elections to by-district elections by October 31, 2024. Residents will vote for one representative from their district and a mayor representing the entire city.
A demographer will be hired and the city will hold at least five hearings to take public input. All dates and proposed maps will be posted on the City's website at least 7 calendar days in advance and published in a newspaper at least 7 days in advance of a hearing. At least one hearing will be held on a Saturday, Sunday, or after 6 pm on a weekday.
Council will also receive public input on the sequence of elections.
Staff will publicize relevant maps, information, notices, agendas and other materials and establish means of communication to answer questions from the public.
A demographer has been hired and the city will hold at least five hearings to take public input. The following schedule was been adopted but no firm dates beyond the July 13 meeting are confirmed:
Date Event
June 11, 2024 Public Hearing No. 1 6pm at Council Chambers
June 25, 2024 Public Hearing No. 2
By August 27, 2024 Draft Maps Published
September 3, 2024 Public Hearing No. 3
September 17 2024 Public Hearing No. 4
October 1, 2024 Public Hearing No. 5
Council will select a map and set the order of elections for 2026 and 2028.
We urge you to participate in this process, since it will dramatically change the way our Council Members and Mayor are elected and your ability to have a voice in how Los Altos is governed.
DETAILS ABOUT THE PROCESS:
The current City Council decides (with input from you) whether the city will opt for 5 districts with a rotating Mayor or 4 districts with an elected citywide Mayor.
District boundaries will be determined by considering:
Roughly equal number of persons 18 years of age per district
Geographic factors, although the odd shape of the city makes it difficult to partition geographically
Keeping Communities of Interest together.
Communities of Interest (COI) are overlapping sets of neighborhoods,
networks, or groups that share interests, views, cultures, histories,
languages, and values, and whose boundaries can be identified on a
map. A Community of Interest can be defined in many ways.
Relationships with political parties or elected officials and candidates
are not considered communities of interest. And, while race and
ethnicity can play a role in defining a COI, it cannot be used as a sole
definition. COIs are self-defined and create a common story.
The following provides some examples of a Community of Interest:Shared interests in schools, housing, community safety, transit, health conditions, land use, and the physical environment, such as the coast, and farming and agricultural spaces;
Common social and civic networks, including places of worship, homeowner associations, community centers, and shared use of community spaces like parks, dog parks, and shopping areas;
Racial and ethnic compositions, cultural identities, and households that predominately speak a language other than English;
Similar socio-economic status, including but not limited to income, home-ownership, and education;
Shared political boundary lines from other jurisdictions, such as school districts, community college districts, and water districts;
Residents who have been working together to advocate for a community issue, such as increasing after-school hours, getting assistance to come back from a natural disaster, or locating a health clinic in their neighborhood.
There are some potential downsides to district-based elections:
In a city of 22,000 voters, it will be challenging to find candidates in each district. Other communities who adopted district-based elections have reported that only one candidate ran in a district. That candidate thus wins by default. If no one runs in a district, the Council Member for that district would be appointed by the Council Members elected from the other districts!
In 2022, roughly 11,000 Los Altans went to the polls. If we had five districts with 2,200 voters each, a councilmember could be elected with just 1,101 votes in a two-person race.
District-based Council Members will need to cater to district demands rather than working for the benefit of the entire city.
We only have 5 opportunities to provide our input to Council about what is probably the most important change to city government in our lifetime.
Don't miss your chance to make sure your voice is heard. This change to district-based elections will minimize your ability to influence decisions about how your tax dollars are spent and where they are spent.
Once district-based elections are in place, only 1 Council Member will care what you think. Speak up now while all 5 will hear you.