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Committee debates raising recall‑petition signature threshold; city attorney to draft amendments
Summary
Supervisors discussed a first‑draft charter amendment to raise the signature threshold for recall petitions from 10% to 20% of registered voters; questions focused on whether to set a fixed percent or defer to state law’s sliding scale. The committee directed the city attorney to prepare revisions for next week.
The Rules Committee considered a first-draft charter amendment proposing to raise the number of signatures required to qualify a recall petition for a member of the Board of Supervisors from 10% to 20% of registered voters in a district.
Supervisor McGoldrick, who introduced the item, said a higher threshold would reduce harassment recalls and mirror what is used in other parts of the state. Deputy City Attorney Sheryl Adams explained the committee could either set a fixed percentage or tie the charter language to the state’s sliding‑scale recall standard; she noted the charter already lists a specific percentage for mayoral recall.
Supervisors debated the tradeoffs. Some argued the city should defer to state law and its sliding scale to accommodate future changes; others said the state standard could be unclear and preferred a clear 20% figure for the charter. A public commenter urged keeping an explicit 20% requirement rather than deferring to the state code.
After discussion, the committee directed the city attorney to prepare the amendments (including language that could reference state law where appropriate) and continued the item for further consideration next week.
