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Council cancels June special election after union withdraws referendum petitions tied to convention hotel
Summary
Following a staff recommendation, the Ontario City Council voted 5-0 to cancel a previously scheduled June special municipal election after Unite Here Local 11 withdrew referendum petitions challenging approvals for a proposed convention hotel; council members said the cancellation saves city funds and avoids duplicative elections.
The Ontario City Council voted unanimously to cancel a June special municipal election that had been scheduled after referendum petitions were filed challenging an approved convention-hotel project. City Manager (on the dais) explained that the petitions prompting the June election were withdrawn by Unite Here Local 11, and staff recommended canceling the costly special election to conserve city resources and proceed with a March election and the regular November ballot cycle.
City Manager remarks outlined the background: the council previously approved a 600-room hotel near the convention center; referendum petitions paused implementation and the council scheduled special elections at significant cost. The city manager said the June special election would have cost approximately $748,000, while related March scheduling had an estimated $1.2 million cost for prior items. "The recommendation before you is to oblige Unite Here, cancel the special election in June, save the money that was going to have to come from somewhere in the city's budget," he said.
Several councilmembers criticized the referendum approach as causing extended delays and rising construction costs. One councilmember said these pauses hurt predictability for economic development and can increase project costs; another councilmember with labor experience urged support for moving forward to preserve jobs. After discussion the council approved a motion to cancel the June election (motion by Councilmember Perrotta, second by Councilmember Bowman) and the item passed 5-0.
Councilmembers noted the March election initiatives remain on track where signatures were gathered, and that canceling June does not affect those other scheduled ballots. The council took no additional action on the convention project itself at this meeting; staff will continue to monitor timelines and costs.
