HomeMy WebLinkAbout12/6/2023 Item 3, Ashbaugh
Wilbanks, Megan
From:John Ashbaugh <jbashbaugh@gmail.com>
Sent:Wednesday, December 6, 2023 2:59 PM
To:Council_All
Cc:Christian, Kevin; Wilbanks, Megan; Purrington, Teresa; Johnson, Derek; Dietrick,
Christine
Subject:Threatened litigation
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Hello Councilmembers,
I wanted to write a quick note to you all urging you to please reject the efforts by the law firm representing the
Southwest Voter Registration and Education Project to force our city to move to district elections for the Council.
Normally I would support the efforts of this organization to improve voter registration and education - but not in this
case.
As a candidate for Council in 2008, I felt it my obligation to campaign in every part of the city and learn about the issues
facing this community by becoming "A Leader Who Listens." I regarded it as my obligation, once elected, to pay equal
attention to every voter, business owner, resident and even those homeless neighbors who occupy or do business in our
city without respect to geography. I often was contacted by people outside of the City in some of the neighborhoods
that were (unfortunately) developed adjacent to the City. And I listened to everyone, responding to each with the best
of my ability and my meager skills as a communicator.
Now, as a "recovering politician," I feel that it is more important than ever to have our elected officials positioned to
work collaboratively and creatively without regard to partisan ideology or the "fences and walls" that keep being
erected to drive us apart.
If the City Attorney advises you that this litigation has real merit, and does represent an unavoidable threat requiring a
response, I urge that you appoint a sub-committee and/or a citizens' task force to explore options that might be
available OTHER THAN to divide this city into four Council districts. Many options exist that would serve the same
purpose sought by the California Voting Rights Act: - which is the same objective first articulated by James Madison and
other founders of our Republic: To increase the variety of interests represented in the legislative body while also
reducing the tendency of any one faction to gain unwarranted control over their decisions.
One option that could be considered is to increase the size of the Council, with six seats and the Mayor. Santa Barbara
has such a system, as you know (although they also pay significantly higher Council salaries than we do!).
Another option that would complement the first option would be to have create two multi-seat districts on either side
of the freeway, where Council candidates would be required to live either in 93401 or 93405, respectively, and their
election would be staggered so that each side of the freeway would always have at least one seat up for election in each
cycle. This arrangement would have the benefit of enabling every voter to have two Councilmembers (or three, if we
increase the size of the Council).
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I've generally had good relations with every member of the Council who has been elected to our city, and I would even
apply that observation to the man whom I defeated in my first run for City office in 2008. I have excellent relations with
each of you.
Not everyone in SLO feels that same ability to call on any of you with my suggestions or complaints. I do hope that any of
the reforms that might be contemplated in response to the threat of a Voting Rights Act lawsuit will serve the interests
of improving representation by reasonable elected officials capable of working in the best interests of ALL of our
citizens.
I look forward to learning the results of your consideration of this litigation threat in the coming days.
Thanks,
John Ashbaugh
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