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By-District Voting Map Approved By Santa Clarita City Council

The Santa Clarita City Council approved a district-based electoral map during a special meeting Tuesday night, disqualifying one of the current members from running for reelection in 2024.

The Santa Clarita City Council approved the changes with a 4-1 vote, during the first reading of the new district-based electoral map, set to go into practice during the next City Council election in 2024.

“I just want to say I don’t believe that creating segregated maps would do anything but separate people, they don’t unite us, they take 80 percent of our vote away,” said Councilmember Laurene Weste. “I’m definitely not happy with moving forward on this and I don’t disagree with many speakers.”

The formal ratification of the changes is expected to take place during the City Council’s regular meeting on June 13.

The City of Santa Clarita received a letter on Feb. 7, 2020, challenging its at-large voting system, according to City Hall documents.

To challenge an at-large voting system, a potential plaintiff must send a demand letter to the City, after which the City has 45 days to declare intent to switch to the election of its legislative body by districts. Unlike a federal voting rights act case, where a plaintiff must establish that switching to districts will actually remedy the vote dilution of the minority group challenging the existing election system through the creation of a majority-minority district, the California Voting Rights Act does not require such proof.

The letter was sent by Scott Rafferty, a Northern California lawyer who has sent similar letters to several cities, and who has refused to identify his clients. By virtue of sending such a letter, Rafferty is automatically entitled to $30,000 of taxpayer money under the Elections Code.

“The city has been fighting this for years. It’s the second round that we’ve been fighting this now, and all of our elementary school districts, our high school district, our COC district, our water district –  everyone has moved to districts,” said Mayor Jason Gibbs. “As the mayor pro tem mentioned we have spent a lot of time talking and debating and discussing ways that we could move forward, because I think on a very ideological level we don’t agree that this brings the best representation, but it’s here, and the law isn’t’ on our side, and the court isn’t on our side.”

In November 2024, which would be the first election with the district boundaries, only two seats on the city council – currently held by Mayor Gibbs and Mayor Pro Tem Cameron Smyth – will be up for election due to staggered four-year terms.

Due to the districts outlined in the map, Districts No. 1 and 3 are set to be on the ballot in 2024, effectively disqualifying Smyth from running for reelection next year as he does not live in either of the selected districts. 

“I think if there were any other alternative that would not lead to going toward districts, but also not writing a seven-figure check to Mr. Rafferty, I would actively pursue that, but I don’t see any other alternative but to proceed as we are now,” Smyth said. “Thank you for your comments, but I think after three years of this it’s time to move on.”

Smyth, a Santa Clarita native, was first elected to the City Council in 2000, and later to State Assembly, before returning to local politics. A hometown candidate, Smyth is recognized as one of the most popular candidates to sit on City Council, securing one of the largest voting percentages on record in the 2020 election with over 31 percent of the vote. 

“He’s been a great leader his entire time serving – not only this city but also in the state legislature, and to do this to him is unconscionable and it shows the true feelings behind whats being done here,” Weste said. “I’m sorry that you can’t make our constituents happy by doing what they’re asking us to do.”

City Council members were obviously disappointed by the decision, but each explained that given the odds of winning a court case, it would be the best decision for the City at large. 

Gathered members of the audience were largely displeased by the decision. The special meeting was forced to take a five-minute break due to an unruly member of the audience repeatedly attempting to speak over council members. 

“There’s something dramatically wrong with an elected councilmember who has served this community so well for so many years, who has gotten more electoral votes than any member by far of this council in the history of the council,” Miranda said. “I can’t even speak to it. It’s so insulting that Cameron Smyth will not be able to run for election in 2024. That’s just an injustice of a supreme kind and I’m so sad.”

The vast majority of cities that received a demand letter have opted to switch to election by districts, although some have attempted to litigate. Out of the cities which attempted to defend such a suit, only the City of Santa Monica has been semi-successful, losing in Los Angeles Superior Court in 2018, but winning on appeal in 2020, prompting the case to be brought to the California Supreme Court. The case is set to be heard in late June.

“I don’t mind gambling with my own money when the odds are reasonable. I cannot in all conscience gamble my community’s money when the odds are insurmountable, and in this case the odds are insurmountable,” Miranda said. “It’s the community’s money and I’m not going to gamble with the community’s money.”

These cities have been ordered to pay millions in legal fees and, in some cases, have ended up with court-ordered special elections, based upon district maps generated without public input, according to the City.

Councilwoman Marsha McLean gave the only nay vote at Tuesday night’s meeting , noting that although she understood the capitulation by the other members of the council, her consciousness required her to vote against the motion. 

“It is very sad that we have to do this. It is wrong on so many levels to force cities to agree to take away the voting rights of residents, who will only be able to vote for one of five council members who make very serious decisions regarding the whole city,” McLean said. “We’re a family-oriented, diverse community, we still have that small hometown feel, but we are a united community. I hope it doesn’t happen but I fear that this is going to be pitting one neighborhood after another.”


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By-District Voting Map Approved By Santa Clarita City Council

4 comments

  1. Government forced gerrymandering at its best.

  2. The city already wrote checks totaling $370,000 to the plaintiffs attorney .

  3. Keep voting for Communists/Democrats. They will control every aspect of your life!

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About Jade Aubuchon

A Santa Clarita native, Jade has spent her whole life involved in community outreach. After graduating from Learning Post High in 2015, she went on to College of the Canyons to pursue a double major in English and Marketing. Jade spent several years as a ballroom dance performer for a local studio and has performed at public and private events throughout Santa Clarita. As KHTS Co-News Director Jade oversees the KHTS news team, which covers all the latest news impacting Santa Clarita. Along with covering and writing her own news stories, Jade can be heard broadcasting the daily local news every weekday morning and afternoon drive-time twice an hour on KHTS 98.1FM and AM-1220. Jade is also instrumental in reporting on-the-scene local emergencies, covering them on-air and via Facebook Live and YouTube. Another dimension to Jade’s on-air skills and writing are her regular political and celebrity interviews, including her bi-monthly interview with our Congressman Mike Garcia and many other local politicians and community leaders.