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Los Altos council directs staff to prepare resolution calling a special election for November to fill vacant seat
Summary
After clarifying legal timing with the city clerk, the council voted to ask staff to prepare a resolution calling a special election during the November general election to fill a vacant council seat created earlier this year; members asked staff to avoid ballot confusion during the switch to district elections.
The Los Altos City Council voted to direct staff to prepare a resolution calling a special election to fill a vacant council seat in November.
City Clerk explained that, by statute, filling a vacancy is treated as a special election even when it coincides with a regularly scheduled election; because Los Altos is switching to district elections in November, staff explained how the special-election call would be structured so it does not create an overlapping citywide ballot item for all voters. The clerk said the city will adopt a resolution now calling the special election and then include appropriate consolidated-election language when the county canvass and regular election resolutions are prepared in June.
Councilmember Daley moved the instruction to staff to prepare the resolution; the motion passed unanimously. Several council members asked staff to ensure that the resolution and subsequent election materials avoid confusing voters who will receive district ballots under the new system.
Why it matters: the council must choose between appointment or election procedures when a vacancy occurs; the council’s direction commits the city to the election path and requires coordination with the county and a public information effort to avoid ballot confusion under the new district scheme.
Next steps: staff will prepare and return to council with the formal resolution language and consolidation agreements for June as needed.
