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Sutter County board discusses special election options after LaMalfa vacancy; consolidation could lower costs
Summary
Board members and staff debated whether to hold a standalone special election or consolidate the LaMalfa vacancy contest with the June primary, noting a past Prop 50 election cost of over $300,000 and an incremental consolidation cost estimated at roughly 10% (about $30,000); the board discussed sending letters to state authorities and the Supreme Court but took no formal action.
The Sutter County Board of Supervisors discussed options for filling the vacancy in Congressional District 1 following LaMalfa’s departure, including whether to hold a standalone special election or consolidate the vacancy contest with the June primary.
County staff explained that the last election tied to Prop 50 cost the county more than $300,000 when overhead and benefits were included. Staff said adding the vacancy contest as a consolidated item on the June primary ballot would be far less expensive, describing the incremental cost as roughly 10 percent of that amount (about $30,000).
Staff said consolidation would place two contests on the same ballot — one to fill the remainder of the current term and one for the next full term — and that the county does not yet know whether the state would reimburse costs for a special election. A board member suggested writing letters to state officials or the State Supreme Court to press for a particular approach; staff and supervisors said formal outreach could be discussed at a future meeting.
No formal vote was taken on calling a standalone special election during the meeting. The board recorded prior action related to scheduling and indicated staff would return with additional information; supervisors asked that the topic be included on a future agenda for further consideration.
