City will place charter amendment and district-election ordinance on Nov. ballot after settlement

The council voted unanimously to place two linked local measures on the November 3, 2026 ballot as part of a settlement agreement resolving a California Voting Rights Act dispute. Jill Vanderboerdt, Chief Assistant City Attorney, urged the council to adopt three related resolutions: a charter amendment to allow the city's electoral system to be specified by ordinance, an ordinance adopting draft map 130 for by-district elections (sequencing districts 2 and 4 for 2028 and 1, 3 and 5 for 2030), and a resolution requesting consolidation of the measures with the county general election.

"The agreement said the City would put two ballot measures relative to its local elections on the November ballot," Vanderboerdt explained. She noted the charter change would also give future councils flexibility to change electoral methods by ordinance, and that both measures must pass for district elections to take effect. Council members asked clarifying questions about sequencing and consequences if one measure passed and the other failed; Vanderboerdt said the charter amendment alone would not force districts absent passage of the ordinance, and if the charter amendment passed while the district ordinance failed the council could maintain at-large elections or later act by ordinance.

Council also authorized an ad hoc subcommittee (mayor and vice mayor) to prepare an argument in favor of the charter amendment and an argument against the district ordinance per the council's stated approach. Staff told the council the city clerk will request letter designations for the measures in August and will publish explanatory materials ahead of the election.