HomeMy WebLinkAboutAB 2550 LTR to Gatto 20140520o�
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/ g O� 990 Palm Street ■ San Luis Obispo, CA 93401-3249 ■ 805/781-7119
May 20, 2014
VIA FACSIMILE ONLY 916-319-2181
Honorable Mike Gatto
Chair, California State Assembly Appropriations Committee
State Capitol Building, Room #2114
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 2550 (Hernandez) Election Dates
(As amended April 29, 2014)
NOTICE OF OPPOSITION
Dear Assembly Member Gatto:
The City of San Luis Obispo is opposed to AB 2550, which removes the established
election days in March, April, and June of odd years; requiring all cities to consolidate their
general municipal and district elections with statewide election dates by July 1, 2015.
This bill would create significant cost increases to cities if forced to consolidate election
dates. Having to convert into a consolidated election in such a short timeframe would place a
significant financial burden on local election offices.
Apart from the increase in cost, there are concerns when it comes to local contests and
measures. On consolidated ballots, local elections fall further down the ballot and the focus on
those outcomes is minimized against much larger contests such as presidential and congressional
races, even though local outcomes are going to have more of a direct impact on local voters. We
do not want voters to be disenfranchised because of a lengthy consolidated ballot, where local
measures are not the focal point.
For these reasons, the City of San Luis Obispo opposes AB 2550.
Sincerely
,
�
J Marx
ayor
cc: City Council
City Manager
City Clerk
Assembly Member Roger Hernandez, 916-319-2148 FAX
Senator Bill Monning, fax 916-445-8081
Assembly Member Katcho Achadjian, fax 916-319-2135
David Mullinax, League of California Cities, dmullinax@cacities.org