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Glendora Library trustees hear legal guidance on how they may participate in citizen-led bond campaigns
Summary
The Board of Library Trustees received legal guidance from staff on what trustees and staff may and may not do if residents pursue a citizen-led bond to fund city facility repairs, including limits on using city resources and cautions about social media under the Brown Act; the board voted to receive and file the report.
The Glendora Board of Library Trustees on Tuesday heard legal guidance on how trustees and staff may participate in any citizen-led ballot measure related to a potential city facilities bond. Library Director Stone presented the staff summary, and the board voted to receive and file the report by a 4-0 vote.
The guidance summarized the city attorney’s advice and emphasized that board-provided material must be strictly informational and distributed only through the board’s usual communication channels. "The initial support level for a potential facility bond was 53%," Library Director Stone said when summarizing recent polling cited in staff reports; that number is below the two-thirds threshold required for a city-placed bond and below the simple-majority threshold that would apply to a citizen-led initiative.
The legal advice to the board, as presented by staff, included these limits: the board may adopt resolutions supporting or opposing a citizen initiative only at regularly scheduled public meetings; any resolution must be informational and may not explicitly urge voters to act. Board members and city employees may volunteer for political activity as private citizens, but not during work hours and not while representing the city or the board. Staff, city facilities, funds, equipment or official communication channels may not be used to promote or oppose an initiative.
Director Stone also relayed a caution about social media and the Brown Act: responding as a group on a post (for example, multiple trustees reacting or commenting) can, in some circumstances, be treated as a collective communication and create Brown Act concerns. The board asked staff to confirm details with the city attorney and city clerk before undertaking any activity that could be construed as coordinated political advocacy.
After discussion, the board moved to "receive and file" the informational report about advocacy and ballot measures; the motion carried 4-0.
The staff report that prompted the discussion noted that public polling showed 53% support for a multi-facility bond in a general sense, and staff explained that the council will continue to evaluate facility needs, financing scenarios (including potential bond issuance), and whether to engage consultants to document visual impacts and cost estimates. No formal decision on placing a measure on the ballot was made by the trustees at the meeting.
