Following a discussion at the Tracy City Council meeting about whether the city should hold district-based elections or continue with its current at-large method, the council voted early Wednesday to take no further action for the time being.
Currently, the city holds council elections at-large with four councilmembers selected to four-year terms and the mayor at large for a two-year term.
Each of them has a restriction of two terms each, meaning councilmembers can be in office for up to eight years and the mayor up to four years.
Recently many cities in California have made the switch to district-based elections in an attempt to avoid any lawsuits citing the California Voting Rights Act regarding racially polarized voting.
Assistant City Manager Karin Schnaider said during the meeting, which started Tuesday evening, that they had not received a letter of demand under the California Voting Rights Act. Instead, the discussion stemmed from a request by Councilmember Dan Arriola.
Arriola had brought the agenda item discussion to the council for the meeting in support of making the change, with Tracy Mayor Nancy Young in agreement.
“It’s my position that district-based elections provide the greatest opportunity for fair and equitable elections,” Arriola said during the meeting.
He said he believed that district-based elections would avoid costly legal battles that would happen if there was a lawsuit, it would lower barriers for participation in local government and it is a way to limit the power of money in elections.
Mixed reaction from council and public
However, not everyone agreed with Arriola and Young, who were the minority in a 3-2 vote.
Mayor Pro Tempore Eleassia Davis said she couldn’t agree with some of her colleagues’ perspectives.
“I do not support this,” Davis said. “I’m sure the district-based elections have their merits in some communities, but I do not believe they are warranted or necessary in the city of Tracy based on what the goal is of the Voting Rights Act.”
“I’m sure the district-based elections have their merits in some communities, but I do not believe they are warranted or necessary in the city of Tracy based on what the goal is of the Voting Rights Act.” Mayor Pro Tempore Eleassia Davis
About 10 people during public comment also voiced their concerns and disapproval about possible changes to district elections and pleaded with councilmembers to leave the system as it is.
If later down the line the council decided to hold district-based elections, the cost could be between $100,000-150,000 per districting process and would have to be budgeted every 10 years, according to Schnaider.
Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.
