Pacific Grove council agrees to include full ordinance text in voter pamphlet after debate over cost and access

The Pacific Grove City Council debated whether to include the entire text of a proposed ordinance in the county voter information pamphlet before directing staff to provide the full text to voters and make local copies available. City Clerk Sandra Candela told the council the county elections office had asked for clarification because the resolution was ambiguous on whether the full text must appear in the printed pamphlet or could simply be referenced with instructions for obtaining it.

"This item is before you because the elections department requested a clarification as to whether the entire text of the ordinance is printed in the voter information pamphlet or not," Sandra Candela said. Councilmember Rao cited a county estimate of about $963.50 per page (with bilingual printing requirements), arguing that printing many pages could cost the city tens of thousands of dollars. Councilmember McDonald and others argued that making the full text easily available is important for voter understanding, suggesting alternatives such as a binder at City Hall or a copy at the library.

Councilmembers discussed technical questions — including whether a QR code could be used (the county said no) — and weighed cost against voter access. After discussion and procedural votes, the council directed staff to ensure the full ordinance text would be made available to voters and to coordinate with Monterey County Elections on the mechanics of distribution and printing. The council emphasized making paper copies available at city facilities for residents for whom online access is difficult, and asked staff to report back with logistics and cost details.