San Fernando council directs staff to draft ordinance to consider moving municipal elections to statewide primary

The San Fernando City Council on Sept. 2 voted to direct staff to draft an ordinance to change the city's municipal election date from November to the statewide primary (consolidation with the primary), a step that will require a future formal ordinance vote and public notice. Council members debated turnout, cost and equity and heard sizable public comment on both sides. Supporters said a primary/June consolidation can benefit grassroots campaigns and give candidates more direct voter engagement; opponents cited local turnout data showing higher participation in November general elections and warned outside money could have greater influence in off‑cycle contests. Why it matters: Changing the municipal election date affects who votes, the timing of candidate filing, cost for the city (the county finalizes cost estimates in mid‑ to late October), and the timing for any enacted change to take effect; adoption requires an ordinance with two readings and public notice. What the council did: Councilmember Patty Lopez made the motion to direct staff to prepare an ordinance to switch to the statewide primary date; several council members voiced support and others opposed. By roll call the motion to bring the ordinance back for council consideration carried (vote recorded to bring the item back: Lopez yes, Garcia yes, Fajardo yes, Salodio no, Mayor Mendoza yes). Staff told council the county will provide a formal price estimate for holding a June consolidated election in mid‑ to late October; a commonly cited estimate in the discussion was approximately $75,000 but staff said that figure is a rough estimate and the county’s actual number would come later. Public comment and council discussion: More than a dozen members of the public spoke. Some urged the council to keep municipal elections in November to maximize turnout; multiple speakers cited San Fernando turnout statistics showing November participation well above March/June results (examples cited by speakers: March turnout rates in some years around 11–16%, while November turnout in recent cycles ranged from about 33% to 73%). Supporters of moving to the primary said the primary calendar can help grassroots candidates connect with voters and could reduce the relative influence of outside money on local races. Councilmember Joe Fajardo said he favored the primary consolidation to encourage door‑to‑door engagement and argued the city should accept the additional cost if it reduces outside influence. Councilmember Victoria Garcia and others said their own campaign experience showed better community engagement in the primary in some cases and stressed outreach to raise turnout if the city moves. Process and next steps: Council direction was to bring back a draft ordinance and staff report (including county cost estimates when available) for formal consideration at a future meeting. A successful change would require a first and second reading of an ordinance and public notice; staff told council the county’s detailed cost estimate should be available by mid to late October and that any ordinance would follow required procedures and timelines.