King City Council discusses district-based elections

During Tuesday’s King City council meeting, members continued discussion about how council members are elected, and if the current process should change. They hope to make a final decision in February. King City has five at large council members who represent the entire city. Some believe it’s hardly equal representation.

“This community is 90 percent Latino,” said Assembly Member Luis Alejo. “And yet we only have one Latina serving on the city council.”

Alejo said residents became concerned about representation after a series of scandals hit the King City Police Department. The city council is responsible for the city manager and the police chief. He and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) are pushing for district based elections, where one council member lives and serves a particular part of the city.

“It ensures that every part of the city has someone that goes home every night, to that particular portion of town, that district, that is representing the unique needs to that particular part of the city,” Alejo said.

District-based elections are also cost effective for candidates, who only have to campaign within a small part of the city, rather than the entire city.

While this movement has garnered a lot of support from community members, others in town feel it’s hard enough to find a candidate to run, let alone one who lives in a certain part of the area.

“If people really have an interest in running, they should step forward and do so,” said local business owner Tina Lopez. “It shouldn’t be something that we mandate that you have to be a specific culture or live in a certain part of the city. Certainly we know we are a bi-cultural community and we need to have representation, but people have not come forward and be willing to do that.”

Her fear — If elections become district-based, what is no one runs?

During the November elections, there were several school board races where the incumbent decided not to seek re-election. A candidate had applied for each race. Since they were unchallenged, the elections were dropped and the candidate was appointed to the respective position.

It’s this sort of confusion council members want to avoid. They say they want equal representation, it’s matter of “how.” That’s where they want the community to come in.

“One of the options I will be asking for is that we do workshops at all of our different schools here in town because that will help bring parents in and usually you get bigger crowds,” said Council Member Mike LeBarre.

Alejo said he wants to finalize a plan as soon as possible. He says because of a recently signed law, the city council could make the change without taking the issue to the ballot. That would save King City time and money, both that could be lost in a court battle.

“Rather than have this end up in litigation,” Alejo said, “We’re hoping this council will voluntarily implement it, look at the various options whether its district elections, cumulative voting, rank choice voting, see what is the best model for King City.”