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Council directs staff to prepare ballot language on city treasurer appointment question
Summary
Council gave staff direction to return June 17 with ballot language asking voters whether the city treasurer should be an appointed position; a similar March 2024 measure failed by about 61%.
The Los Banos City Council on June 3 directed staff to prepare a resolution and ballot language to refer to the November 3, 2026 general election a question asking whether the city treasurer should be appointed rather than elected.
City Attorney Mary reviewed the legal framework and timetable: under state law a general-law city must have a treasurer who can be elected or appointed; special statutory language and deadlines apply for placing a measure on the November ballot. Mary told council the county elections office must review draft language and that the council should adopt final ballot language at its June 17 meeting to meet statutory filing deadlines.
Councilmembers were split in public remarks. One council member said the office has grown more complex and argued appointment would bring the role into the finance department as a professional function. Another council member urged deferring to the voters, noting a March 2024 ballot measure on clerk/treasurer changes failed by roughly 61% of voters.
City Treasurer Lucy Lawrence, who spoke at the meeting, said she has 47 years of experience in finance but not municipal budgeting and that if the treasurer is to sign off on city financials the treasurer should either be from the finance department or have sufficient training and time to review documentation.
Staff estimated the incremental cost to add the question to the existing November ballot at about $7,500. Council gave direction to staff to prepare the resolution and return on June 17 for formal adoption of the ballot language.
