City council this week will consider shifting its election cycle
to overlap with state and federal races, a move aimed at trimming
tens of thousands of dollars from the city budget.
Gilroy – City council this week will consider shifting its election cycle to overlap with state and federal races, a move aimed at trimming tens of thousands of dollars from the city budget.
The proposal to hold elections on even-numbered years such as 2008 emerged from budget sessions earlier this year. The city is struggling to plug multimillion dollar shortfalls in yearly revenues and officials believe shifting elections could save at least $60,000 every election cycle.
Elections of city council members are currently held every other November, in odd-numbered years. Three council seats are typically up for renewal every election, with the mayor’s race overlapping one of the council races.
“If it’s a way to save the city money without a lot of disruption, it makes sense to look into it,” said Mayor Al Pinheiro, who is running for a second term Nov. 6.
The estimated cost for the November 2007 election is $177,706, according to a recent memo to council members from City Clerk Shawna Freels. The 2005 election was nearly half that price due to financial support from the state, which placed a number of the governor’s propositions on the ballot.
While more voters show up to polls for state and federal elections than in “off-cycle” election years, City Councilman Craig Gartman questioned the plan.
“When you’re amongst a huge crowd, it costs a lot of money and you kind of get lost in the national election,” Gartman said. “In an odd year, generally the city council race is almost the only thing on the ballot and it gives an opportunity for the voices of the candidates to be heard a little more clearly.”
The plan to shift elections would require the city’s seven council members to either trim or add a year from their four-year terms.
Pinheiro said he also will propose shifting all council elections to a single year, so that terms are no longer staggered. Such a change would eliminate so-called “safe seats,” preventing a council member from retaining a seat if he or she loses a mayoral bid but has time left on a council term. Gartman, who is the sole candidate challenging Pinheiro in the fall election, has two years left on his second term. He said Pinheiro’s idea would destroy “continuity” on the council by allowing the potential to sweep every elected official out of office in a single year.
Council plans to debate the topics at 4pm Friday during a policy summit at police headquarters, 7301 Hanna St. The proposal could appear on the Nov. 6 ballot for approval.
