REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
OF THE COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
AND RECORD OF ACTION
June 9, 2020
FROM
GARY McBRIDE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
SUBJECT
Title
Report on Impacts of Petition Regarding San Bernardino County Supervisor Compensation Reduction and Term Limits
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
1. Receive report prepared pursuant to Elections Code 9111 on the impacts of the petition regarding San Bernardino County Supervisor compensation reduction and term limits.
2. Find that the following proposed actions are exempt from review pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) and in accordance with State CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) (General Rule).
3. Pursuant to California Elections Code section 9118, the Board of Supervisors (Board) shall do only one of the following:
a. Consider a proposed ordinance that would adopt “The San Bernardino County Supervisor Compensation Reduction and Term Limits Initiative” (Initiative Petition/Measure) without alteration and, either as part of this item or within 10 days from June 9, 2020, approve introduction of proposed ordinance, and adopt proposed ordinance, and submit the ordinance to the voters pursuant to Elections Code 9102; or
b. Submit the ordinance, without alteration, to the voters pursuant to Elections Code section 1405; or
4. If the Board approves Recommendation 3.b., above, pursuant to Elections Code section 1405, the Board shall do only one of the following:
a. Acknowledge that the election for the Initiative Petition/Measure shall be held on November 3, 2020 (the Board’s next regular election); or
b. Call a special election for the Initiative Petition/Measure not less than 88 days nor more than 103 days from June 9, 2020.
(Presenter: Gary McBride, Chief Executive Officer, 387-5417)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Pursue County Goals and Objectives by Working with Other Agencies.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Approval of this item may result in the use of additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost). Should the Board of Supervisors (Board) choose to adopt by ordinance the initiative Petition/Measure “The San Bernardino County Supervisor Compensation Reduction and Term Limits Initiative”, there would be no cost of an election. If the Board decides to submit the ordinance based on the initiative Petition/Measure, without alternation, to the voters pursuant to Elections Code section 1405 (Recommendation 3.b.), the cost of the election (estimated at $6 million for a special polling place election; $4.7 million for a special mail ballot election; and $2.7 million if consolidated with the November 3, 2020 Presidential General Election) would be funded by General Fund.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
On March 20, 2020 an initiative petition entitled “The San Bernardino County Supervisor Compensation Reduction and Term Limits Initiative” was filed with the Registrar of Voters.
On May 19, 2020, a Board Agenda Item (Item No. 111) was brought before the Board to accept the Certification of Initiative Petition (Petition) and request the Board to choose an action to either adopt the ordinance based on the initiative, submit the ordinance to the voters at the November 2020 General Election, or order a report pursuant to Elections Code section 9111 prior to taking any action on the ordinance. The report may include discussion on issues including, but not limited to, fiscal impact, effect on internal consistency of county’s general plan and specific plans, impact on funding for infrastructure, and any other matters requested by the Board. Based on Board direction at that meeting, the Board requested a report be brought back to discuss the impacts of both the compensation and term limit reductions.
The ROV certified the sufficiency of the Petition to the Board on May 19, 2020 (Item No. 111), and pursuant to Elections Code section 9111(b), the report must be presented to the Board no later than 30 days after the ROV certified the sufficiency of the petition to the Board, or by June 18, 2020. Upon receipt and consideration of the requested report, the Board must make a determination pursuant to Recommendations 3 and 4 above.
PROCUREMENT
Not Applicable.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Michelle Blakemore, County Counsel, 387-5455) on June 5, 2020; Finance (Stephenie Shea, Administrative Analyst, 387-4919 and Elias Duenas, Administrative Analyst, 387-4052) on June 4, 2020; and County Finance and Administration (Matthew Erickson, County Chief Financial Officer, 387-5423) on June 4, 2020.