City of Pomona Charter Review:

Below are the 8 proposed updates. Please note that this preview does not yet include the Measure names.

A YES vote on Measure _____ will foster healthy community and police relations through transparency and accountability by adding a police oversight commission to the City Charter.  In 2021, the City Council adopted a police oversight commission by resolution.  The commission created by the city has 7 members and no subpoena power.  In addition, it may be eliminated at the pleasure of the City Council at any time.

Adding the police commission to the Charter changes it to a 5-member board appointed by the City Council as a whole.  It also ensures that it cannot be eliminated by a future City Council without a vote of the people.  Lastly, this police commission would have subpoena power.  The possession of this power will encourage more transparent communication between the commission and the police department.  To be clear, State and Federal laws that protect police personnel privacy cannot be invalidated by the commission’s use of this power.

We must ensure that the residents of this city will have oversight of our most trusted servants who are accountable to protect and serve the public.  Such a commission is too important to allow it to be modified or eliminated at the whim of elected officials.  Given the national debate about the role of policing, we need to make sure there is always a place where our residents can voice concerns and expect accountability.

No Vote………Oversight Commission must have subpoena power Please see Measure #8

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A YES vote on Measure _____ will add an ethics commission to the City Charter that will give residents a place to raise concerns and get answers to their questions regarding elected/appointed officials, city employees, City Codes, election campaigns, and policies that may involve ethical or compliance issues.  Pomona residents have long had unanswered ethics questions and concerns related to the city and this Measure will attempt to increase transparency and provide a forum for investigation.

The Ethics Commission, which would be created by the City Council, will explore concerns, and clarify regulations related to Federal, State, and local ethics laws, rules, and policies.  This Commission could also have the power to propose revisions to City Codes and policies to address resident concerns.  The City Council would determine the scope of the Commission’s powers and duties when addressing ethical breaches.
No Vote………Please see #8

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A YES vote on Measure _____ creates an unbiased commission to redraw the City’s district lines at least every ten years, reflecting population distribution changes, while simultaneously preventing undue influence from elected officials and candidates.  Prior to 2019, the City Council had not redrawn the boundaries of the districts for over 30 years despite big changes in the population distribution across the city.  In 2019, the City Council finally created a redistricting commission to draft and adopt district lines for council districts. However, this was a commission of political appointees, which could have been influenced by their appointing councilpersons.

This measure would create an established schedule and ensure that the members of the redistricting commission are appointed by an independent panel, minimizing any direct political influence on the drawing of city council maps.  It further gives the commission the ability to determine what consultant(s) are used for the process and how rules will be followed.  This amendment will build greater transparency into the process.

No Vote………..Totally agree to redraw the lines…See #8

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A YES vote on Measure _____ will establish City Council term limits, creating more competitive seats and encouraging new voices, which is better for the people.  Unlike state and county term limits, this proposed measure does not forbid anyone from running for the same office in the future but rather requires that elected officials take at least one “cooling off” term after serving three consecutive terms in that office. In the case of our City Councilmembers and Mayor, three terms would be a total of twelve years.

It is a well-known fact that when it comes to election campaigns, the incumbent has an advantage over challengers.  This measure would level the playing field by ensuring that every elected seat is replaced at least every 12 years.  We believe that democracy is strengthened when more people contribute their voices to the ongoing conversation that is government.

No Vote………Totally agree to term limits…..See #8

I would vote 9 years terms instead 12 years.

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A YES vote on Measure _____ will create a “resign to run” provision which creatively addresses a long-standing inequity in city elections.  State law prohibits a person from running for two different municipal offices in the same election.  Therefore, the Councilmembers in Districts 1, 4, and 6 must give up their Council district office to run for Mayor because those elections occur in the same year as the mayoral election.  This is not the case for Districts 2, 3, and 5; if the incumbents in these districts wish to run for Mayor, they can do so, and lose, without forfeiting their current Council seat for the balance of their terms.

This measure resolves this inequity of ‘safe seats’ by requiring the representatives of these districts to resign their seats to run for the office of Mayor, which would be effective upon the election of the new Mayor.

 No Vote……..Interesting….See #8

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A YES vote on Measure _____ will create a more democratic system for electing local candidates to office.  In the City’s current system, multiple candidates running for the same government office, have split the vote enough to allow a person with a very low percentage of the entire vote to get into office.  For example, if 6 people run for the same position, the winning candidate could win the seat with as few as 17% of the total votes.

Pomona had a mayor elected by only 30% of the voters with 70% of the voters voting for different candidates. A district Councilmember was elected by only 27% of the district’s voters.  This measure would add a local primary election to the State primary ballot.  Adding it to the consolidated election saves considerable expense and increases voter turnout compared to a special runoff election.  In this new system, if no candidate receives over 50% of the votes in the primary, the top two candidates will face a runoff election in the November general election, ensuring that the candidate who is elected receives a majority of the vote.

We want to have elected officials that represent a majority of voters, ensuring that everyone’s vote has an equal opportunity for representation.

 No Vote……. Interesting…..See #8

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A YES vote on Measure _____ replaces antiquated and conflicting language in our Charter and City ordinances related to campaign financing and creates a fairer system of financing elections. The Charter was last amended 24 years ago, and subsequent court decisions have made certain provisions unenforceable.  The proposed revised, voluntary, expenditure limit would now be tied to State Assembly limits which are reassessed regularly, based on the number of people in the voting district.  The voluntary expenditure limit will help level the playing field for all candidates and allow candidates for City Council to successfully get their message to the voters without creating a perception of buying elections.

This measure will also remove the outdated language in the current Charter that requires turning surplus election funds over to the City’s General Fund, which is now in conflict with case law.  Similarly, this measure also changes the language regarding ‘conflict of interest’ because case law has established that elected officials cannot be forced to recuse themselves because of donations received from someone with business before the City Council.

This measure increases transparency by requiring that Councilmembers must declare, for the public record, campaign contributions over $499.00 from applicants BEFORE voting.  Lastly, proposed language is added to automatically adjust campaign contribution limits for inflation, as required by case law, by tying them to the California Government Code.

We believe these proposed changes create a more transparent, consistent, understandable system that can automatically adjust to changing circumstances, while also protecting our city from potential legal challenges.

NO Vote……. Initial languages are significant…See #8

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A YES vote on Measure _____ makes very important updates to our 24-year-old charter.  This amendment fixes several areas where the Charter is not reflective of current policies, practices, and technology (email, internet, etc.).  The changes in this measure will also ensure compliance with current State and Federal law, which have evolved since its last amendment 24 years ago.  Lastly, a newly added Preamble will enumerate the current values of Pomona.

My perspective, this measure 8 covers 1 thru 7 Measure’s subjects. This #8 Measure would 

be the only YES VOTE of the 8 Measures,

I Jeanette EllisRoyston support Measure #8