Residents urge San Leandro Council to move to district-based elections during public comment
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Summary
Multiple residents urged the City Council to begin a study or take steps toward district-based elections, saying it would increase representation and lower barriers to running for office; speakers cited examples from other jurisdictions and legal pressure from state law.
Several residents used the public-comment period to urge the San Leandro City Council to pursue district-based elections, arguing the change would improve representation, lower campaign costs and create more opportunities for new candidates.
Douglas Spalding, a speaker who said he works with the San Lorenzo Unified School District, said his district’s move to district elections produced opportunities for new candidates and argued San Leandro should "move in this direction ASAP." He described the difficulty of citywide campaigns and cited fundraising disparities.
Other speakers echoed that view. One caller said district elections would help diversify the council because smaller, district-scale campaigns make door-to-door outreach more feasible; another, Craig Williams, described the historical use of at-large elections to suppress representation in some jurisdictions and urged the council to consider the change to increase equity.
Melissa Titano, a resident in District 1, said participating in a citywide campaign required "countless volunteer hours" to reach all households and that district elections would make council representation more accessible. Several commenters also recommended the council study current district boundaries to ensure they are aligned.
Speakers and some council members discussed legal context: one commenter noted that state law and recent litigation have made the transition to district elections more common, and urged the city attorney to clarify what effect a citywide ratification vote would have if the council moves forward. Council member Meinert Schwartz asked staff for a legal briefing on whether a ratification ballot measure would alter the city's exposure to litigation.
The council did not take formal action on district elections at the meeting; public comments were recorded and some council members said they want more discussion with the city attorney about legal implications before any vote or ballot measure.