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Loma Linda Council accepts petition certification, sets June 2 ballot and approves $50,000 for election costs
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Summary
The Loma Linda City Council voted to accept the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters' certification of the "Loma Linda Essential City Services Measure," to place it on the June 2, 2026 consolidated ballot and to introduce an implementing ordinance on first reading. The council also approved a $50,000 supplemental appropriation to cover election and ROV administration costs after heated public comment about legal defects.
The Loma Linda City Council voted to accept certification from the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters that the Loma Linda Essential City Services Measure petition contains the minimum required signatures, to call a municipal election consolidated with the June 2, 2026 statewide primary, and to introduce an ordinance on first reading establishing a 1% transactions and use tax if approved by voters. The council also approved a $50,000 supplemental appropriation from general fund reserves to cover the Registrar of Voters' estimate of election and voter‑information costs.
The vote followed an extended public hearing in which Kathy Glendrange, an attorney who said she helped draft earlier local initiatives, urged the council to reject the petition because, she said, it fails to comply with multiple requirements of the California Elections Code. "On its face the petition does not comply with the statutory requirements of the Elections Code," Glendrange said, arguing the petition did not reprint the title and summary on each signature sheet and failed to format required signature‑page language as the code requires. She warned putting the petition on the ballot would likely prompt litigation and cost the city taxpayer money to defend what she called a "fatally flawed" petition.
City Attorney (spoke to council) told the council staff reviewed both the petition and the city clerk's response to the law firm's letter and found technical nonconformities but that the petition sections did include the full title, summary and the complete text of the proposed ordinance. The city attorney said California courts apply a substantial‑compliance doctrine to initiative petitions and cautioned that courts resolve doubts in favor of allowing voters to exercise the initiative power. "There are some technical nonconformities," the city attorney said, "but all required components were in the petition and the doctrine of substantial compliance applies." The city attorney recommended the council accept the ROV certification, call the election, authorize the impartial analysis and consider argument/rebuttal procedures.
Council members were sharply divided during public comment and the deliberations. Council member Popescu urged caution about potential legal exposure and said the city should not use taxpayers' money to defend a petition that he believes violates the code. "If we put this on the ballot and we lose in court, we're going to be spending taxpayers' money for lawsuits," he said. Other council members and supporters urged that the initiative process be respected and that voters be allowed to decide the measure at the ballot box; one council member cited independent survey work and said the community has shown support.
After debate the council accepted the ROV certification by adopting Resolution R2026‑07, then approved Resolution R2026‑08 calling and giving notice of the municipal election to submit the Loma Linda Essential City Services Measure to voters on June 2, 2026; the council directed the city attorney to prepare the impartial analysis and set filing rules for arguments and rebuttals. The council also introduced Ordinance O‑2026‑03 on first reading (adding chapter 3.34 to the Loma Linda Municipal Code to establish the proposed 1% general transactions and use tax) and set second reading for March 10, 2026. Lastly, the council approved a supplemental appropriation of $50,000 from the general fund to pay Registrar of Voters costs and voter information activity assessments tied to the election.
During the meeting the clerk and city attorney confirmed the $50,000 figure traces to an estimate provided by the San Bernardino Registrar of Voters to cover election administration and related assessments; the attorney clarified the appropriation is not a city‑run campaign but funding to cover official election administration and voter information activities. The city clerk also provided the council with the clerk's written response to the law firm's letter and the city attorney summarized that response for the record.
The council's actions mean the measure will appear on the June 2, 2026 consolidated ballot unless it is enjoined by a court. The ordinance is scheduled for second reading on March 10, 2026, and the council's actions establish deadlines and word‑count limits for filing pro and con arguments and rebuttals in accordance with state law.
