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Glendora council hears public debate on Proposition 50 but takes no formal position
Summary
At an October Glendora City Council meeting, residents and elected officials debated Proposition 50, a state constitutional amendment to temporarily suspend the citizens redistricting commission for congressional maps; the council received a staff report but did not adopt a formal city position.
GLENDORA, Calif. — The Glendora City Council heard more than an hour of public comment and council discussion about Proposition 50 at its October meeting, but the council declined to adopt a formal position and instead unanimously voted to receive a staff report on the measure.
Assistant City Manager Moises Lopez told the council that Proposition 50, placed on the Nov. 4 statewide special election ballot as Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 8, would let the California Legislature adopt new congressional maps for the 2026, 2028 and 2030 elections, temporarily suspending the California Citizens Redistricting Commission until 2031. "The measure authorizes temporary changes to California's congressional district maps in response to mid-decade redistricting efforts in other states," Lopez said during his presentation.
The issue drew multiple public speakers who expressed opposing views. Bill Berturno urged support for the measure, arguing it was needed to counteract what he called "cheating" in other states. Roxanne Hoag, who identified herself as a volunteer chairman of the Los Angeles County Republican Party, urged the council to oppose Proposition 50 because she said it would "upend" the citizens redistricting commission and empower politicians rather than voters.
Councilmember Alawas, one of the item’s sponsors, said he would support an official council position opposing the measure. "I would be in support of taking a position of opposition [to] Proposition 50," he said, arguing the proposal would remove citizen oversight and cost taxpayers roughly $300 million. That motion to adopt an opposition position failed to advance after no councilmember seconded it.
Several councilmembers said they preferred not to take an official city stance and urged voters to weigh the issue individually. Councilmember Karen Mendel said the council's taking a public position could be divisive and that the council should instead provide information for voters. "I appreciate the information, but I don't think this is something that we as the City of Glendora need to take a vote on," Mendel said.
After discussion, the council unanimously voted to receive the staff report on Proposition 50; that procedural motion carried 5-0. No further action or formal position on the ballot measure was taken by the council.
Why it matters: If approved by voters, Proposition 50 would shift congressional redistricting authority from the independent commission to the state legislature for three election cycles, a change proponents say would let California respond to mid-decade redistricting elsewhere and opponents say would remove a layer of independent review.
Meeting context and next steps: The City Council’s vote to receive the report leaves the matter in the hands of voters in the Nov. 4 special election. The council gave staff direction only to provide information; it did not send a position letter or formal endorsement for or against the measure.
