[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6577009,"mediaKeyId","3180241-95a721ff8e1f3dc73bdaed7cc1dfd670","parentId",3180241,"title","Sunnyvale Charter Review Committee narrows workplan, approves rankings for City Council review","audioSeconds",7844,"startMs",796000,"endMs",8640000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3180241-95a721ff8e1f3dc73bdaed7cc1dfd670&start=796&end=8640","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3180241-95a721ff8e1f3dc73bdaed7cc1dfd670/thumbnail_796000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6577009/Sunnyvale/Santa-Clara-County/California/Sunnyvale-Charter-Review-Committee-narrows-workplan-approves-rankings-for-City-Council-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577009-e5dc665e4c3b87b1f4a160b6b1b6a7dd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078904&Signature=SxyzfgDdGEHNLU8vbf5MUHuHE7QocCDHMMzVL0DMUHf6QJrarv9GX2jmIFd6jwZ1d96KBm5pEqVmW-jih4RxqHyYl0OJtC478oFe-SkLUvbn~dFldVtQS9g~UTu2VVhNTouvoHBihRsytAcekR0Hb66nUoMiOvihVue0EYRCGHOvnEXpjc9VOnTT1zAP730Bdm43mxXUDOAYTpVZn0B0KyTcautetmiD89QKcYgKpnpIhHHK3kkRy7xt2xgCz-sizegB8Opv2aRqXH8CtfHxgSenb0wC66XRNyOkKTzqtAyZjmRRQVIDGe98u3fJLhV6dVcWjsAOthrbRYJGY0hEJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-02T15:50:56.713Z","article","The Sunnyvale Charter Review Committee on May 1 approved its consent calendar, voted to drop several items from its study list and sent a ranked list of proposed charter amendments to the City Council for its June 3 meeting.

The committee’s top priorities for further study, as compiled by staff and ratified by the panel, were (in order): changes to public-works contracting procedures (b1); council salaries and compensation (a2); redistricting procedures (a5); language cleanup to remove gender-specific wording (a8); and review of the mayor’s role (a4). Committee members also left on the table a set of lower-priority topics including certain notice and petty-cash provisions (c3, c9, c5).

Why it matters: The committee’s ranking will shape what the Council asks the committee and staff to study in detail, and it narrows the pool of charter changes that Sunnyvale would consider placing before voters. Putting a charter amendment on the ballot has significant cost: staff reported a preliminary Registrar of Voters estimate that a first, six-page measure would cost about $394,295 and each subsequent six-page measure would cost roughly $156,000.

Votes and motions: The committee handled a series of internal motions during the meeting. The consent calendar was approved early in the evening (motion carried; recorded as “8 0 2 with members Davis and Pine abstaining”). The committee voted to drop one Council-requested item (identified on the agenda as “a7”)—the motion carried and was recorded in the transcript as approved by the committee. Several omnibus clean-up and housekeeping items from the “c” list were also removed after committee motions. The committee’s final action was to accept the prioritized list and transmit it, with a recommendation that the Council consider a broader, non-substantive charter-language cleanup; that final acceptance was recorded as carried by the committee (vote recorded in the transcript).

Committee rationale and staff context: Committee members repeatedly said they wanted to focus limited meeting time and staff resources on a smaller set of topics they could study in depth. Chair Larson opened the discussion noting the committee’s goal: “now we pivot to the focus phase, where we really need to prioritize and narrow down what we will be looking at for the rest of our time as a committee.” Staff reminded the panel that the cost to place measures on the ballot is material and that the committee’s prioritization would be used to prepare for the joint review with the Council on June 3.

Quotes from the meeting (verbatim):
- Chair Larson (Chair, Charter Review Committee): “Now we pivot to the focus phase, where we really need to prioritize and narrow down what we will be looking at for the rest of our time as a committee.”
- Connie Varshalas (staff): “If there's any specific questions that you might have where staff might be able to weigh in or clarify any of the questions that come up.”
- Member Neuswanger (Subcommittee convener): “We rank the issue of alternative voting systems as high.”

What comes next: The committee will present its prioritized list and the staff cover memo to the City Council at the June 3 meeting. The committee expects Council to give guidance on which items to pursue further; committee members said they expect to reconvene soon afterward to reorganize subcommittee assignments and staff workplans based on Council direction.

Ending note: The committee’s prioritization does not by itself change the charter. Any amendment ultimately placed before voters will require Council approval to place it on the ballot and the Registrar of Voters to prepare the official ballot materials.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Charter Review Committee Meeting - May 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Sunnyvale Charter Review Committee on May 1 approved a prioritized list of charter items to present to City Council and voted to drop several lower-priority items from its study list.","taxTitle","Sunnyvale , Santa Clara County, California","taxId",2858,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6577004,"Committee debates ranked-choice and other voting systems; public commenters question cost and complexity",2138,1065000,3203000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3180241-95a721ff8e1f3dc73bdaed7cc1dfd670&start=1065&end=3203","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3180241-95a721ff8e1f3dc73bdaed7cc1dfd670/thumbnail_1065000.jpg","/articles/6577004/Sunnyvale/Santa-Clara-County/California/Committee-debates-ranked-choice-and-other-voting-systems-public-commenters-question-cost-and-complexity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6577004-ed490fc0c62b1c0ddc375c9ed386e7cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1771078904&Signature=oraDOGpeCv-R4QXUKhA5jSlFhG0pfn7C0GkqVruHEBuN~2NiC856QhQAX01QA9ywWmWTzc8MlYvM9pWYQtb2v5-Fzls~eBpPCUPSvj2vzCX14Wa0QVHMk2Aut39gQKa4dERsYr~HucWKWFGrsF5VPYfIr5E~uY~U9RaiRW7VUekU~HJGotfsymh1AW2xUhWBnTzVZO~dBhBaZ9JCxnEtkrP6F1EaeZ7DSOKEplVEwwCSZ7a-wteP9RpoIuyS32IH3rQBJsrmGVy-VBnAeubU6QA~KRkn7rKpburDOpqne-1KCUzi1hLqfqGuysBo9vO~8-vFYY~ziOR~4-Na8fP1Ow__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Subcommittee 1 told the Sunnyvale Charter Review Committee on May 1 that it ranked ‘‘alternative voting systems’’ as a high-priority study topic and recommended the committee examine multiple systems, including plurality with runoff, ranked-choice voting (single-seat and proportional variants), approval voting, score/STAR voting and others.

The subcommittee’s convener, Member Neuswanger, said the group was not recommending one system but wanted the committee to study alternatives and understand the tradeoffs. He told the committee: “We rank the issue of alternative voting systems as high.” The subcommittee also noted that proportional ranked-choice voting (a multi-winner system) would have implications for any redistricting work; it would require careful coordination to comply with state law and to avoid Brown Act problems when staff and outside groups meet.

Public commenters and committee members raised three recurring concerns: cost, complexity, and timing.
- Cost and voter education: Cindy (public commenter) cited a Santa Clara County preliminary estimate showing the voter-education and outreach campaign for county implementation at about $2,800,000 and a total estimated cost around $4,000,000. In the meeting, staff reiterated a Registrar of Voters estimate for ballot costs: “the first six-page measure would be $394,295, and every subsequent six-page measure is a hundred and $57,000.”
- Complexity and need for public outreach: Multiple speakers warned that ranked-choice systems require substantial voter outreach and can create different strategic behavior; Alice (public commenter) summarized that ‘‘there are more evidence that more people enter into the race in ranked choice voting, not to win, but into attempt to pull down the the popular candidate down below 50, and then you go round and round and round.” Robert (public commenter) said, in the transcript: “Ranked choice voting is vote splitting on steroids.”
- Coordination with county and redistricting: Several committee members noted the county’s ongoing review of ranked-choice voting and said Sunnyvale should track that work; staff said the county’s decision (or lack of one) could determine whether Sunnyvale would be able to piggyback on county implementation or would need to run a stand‑alone city election, a much more expensive option that could require outside consultants.

Committee members divided on how quickly to proceed. Some members said the committee had a responsibility to study systems asked for by Council; others urged caution and recommended waiting to see the county’s outcome and to plan extensive public education before recommending a charter amendment. Vice Chair Wickham warned the committee that studying ranked-choice voting would be “bigger” than some charter topics and likely require outside expertise and time.

Quotes (verbatim):
- Member Neuswanger (subcommittee convener): “We rank the issue of alternative voting systems as high.”
- Cindy (public commenter): “the voter education and outreach campaign is 2,800,000, and the total cost is 4,000,000.”
- Staff (city): “the first 6 page measure would be $394,295, and every subsequent, 6 page measure is a hundred and $57,000.”
- Robert (public commenter): “Ranked choice voting is vote splitting on steroids.”

Why it matters: Any charter-level change that alters the voting system or the structure of elections would affect representation on the City Council, require legal analysis to comply with the California Voting Rights Act, and likely need substantial voter education. The committee flagged the topic as high priority for study but repeatedly emphasized that study would require substantial staff and consultant resources and careful coordination with county officials.

Ending: The committee left the item on the list for further study but directed staff and members to track the county’s activity on ranked-choice voting and to provide more detailed cost and implementation information if the Council asks the committee to move forward.","Subcommittee 1 presented alternative voting systems for study and ranked the topic as high priority; the committee and members of the public debated ranked-choice voting’s potential benefits, legal and logistical coordination with redistricting, and the likely cost of voter education and election administration.","actionData","errors"]

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Sunnyvale Charter Review Committee narrows workplan, approves rankings for City Council review

Committee debates ranked-choice and other voting systems; public commenters question cost and complexity