PALMDALE – The City Council at its Wednesday meeting approved several changes to its election procedures, including district-based voting, to comply with its recent settlement over violations of the California Voting Rights Act.
Following the terms of the settlement reached with plaintiffs on May 6, the council on Wednesday certified the results of Palmdale’s Nov. 5, 2013 municipal election, conducting a long-awaited oath of office ceremony for Mayor Jim Ledford and Councilman Fred Thompson.
After the brief ceremony, the council approved other election-related measures dictated by the settlement, such as changing the election of the four council members so that residents vote only for the council member of their district – rather than the entire city council. The court settlement divides Palmdale into four districts, using a map that was drafted by the plaintiffs and ordered by the trial court.
However, the office of the mayor will continue to be a citywide, at large vote, according to the agreement.
Council members also approved changing the city’s municipal elections in November to even-numbered years to coincide with either the presidential or gubernatorial election cycles. This means that all current council members will remain in office until the next council is sworn in following the election in November 2016 – when the new district-based electoral system is set to begin for Palmdale.
The council also discussed how to decide which two of the four districts would kick off the new electoral system in 2016 as two-year terms. The decision is necessary if two seats on the council are to be up for election every two years following the 2016 municipal election.
After batting around a few ideas, including tossing a coin, council members agreed the best method would be to simply “draw the district names out of a hat,” believing this to be the “most transparent” way of assigning two- and four-year terms to the newly drawn election districts.
Most importantly, the Palmdale City Council discussed the court-ordered requirement for holding a series of at least three community meetings to inform the public on the upcoming changes to electing its council members.
During comments, Xavier Flores of the League of United Latin American Citizens told the council that four meetings instead of three – one for each new district of the city – should be planned to inform Palmdale residents of the new election system.
Other members of the public emphasized the importance of advertising the upcoming meetings so residents will know enough to attend them.
Palmdale City Attorney Matthew Ditzhazy said the city has 90 days from the June 26 signing of the settlement agreement to arrange the series of community meetings for the public, while noting that the city is also under pressure to “find a new city manager for Palmdale.”
The council eventually agreed to direct staff to set up four meetings, one for each new district, and to get the word out through both English and Spanish-speaking media. The council also noted that the meetings (which will all share similar information about the city’s new election process) should be scheduled on different days and times to “accommodate members of the community.”
Wrapping up the discussion on all election-related items at Wednesday’s meeting, Mayor Ledford told the public, “Again, I just want to say that I may not agree with the court’s decision, but I will comply with the order.”
In a May 7 press statement, Ledford said the lawsuit was never about race or voting rights, stating, “In Palmdale, Hispanic and African-American candidates can and have won citywide at large elections.”
The voting rights lawsuit alleged that Palmdale’s at-large method of electing members to its City Council prevented Latino and African-American residents from electing candidates of their choice. In 2013, after a trial, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mark Mooney ruled that Palmdale had violated the California Voting Rights Act.
Under the settlement agreement reached in May, Palmdale agreed to pay $4.5 million to the plaintiffs’ attorneys and implement a new voting system, beginning with the November 2016 election.
View the settlement agreement with supporting exhibits at https://www.theavtimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/jauregui-final-settlement-agreement-with-exhibit.pdf
About the author
Jim E. Winburn is freelance reporter covering news of public interest. –Previous related stories:
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Mark says
I am offended there is a Palmdale Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Why do we need two Chambers of Commerce in Palmdale? The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is a racist organization and it should be abolished.
Tim Scott says
What makes you think the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is racist? Have you tried to join and been refused?
Stinger says
I think that it may now be time for a lawsuit to be brought against Mayor Parris and the City of Lancaster for not having district elections…
I would also suggest using this court case as part of the precedent against Lancaster…
William says
Mayor Escargot leaves one slimy trail wherever he goes.
Michael Rives says
Unknown to the public, at the last city council meeting okaying the budget for 2015-2016, the Lancaster city council approved funds for the APRIL 2016 MUNICIPAL ELECTION ($164,000) and the outfit to run it. I reminded the council that the voters approved a measure on the municipal ballots years ago that stated their preference for the municipal election to be held at the same time as the general election in November. There was no comment on this from the council members. Last time they did this was in 2014 and Mayor Parris voted to have the election in November with the federal/state election, but not this time. When the election is held in April, the voter turnout will be low. The pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church will as always introduce the incumbent Republican candidates at Sunday services beforehand, and, maybe, has happened in the past, students from the Baptist College will be hired to pass out materials door to door for the Republican incumbents. I suspect many of these same students will register to vote since they are living in Lancaster for most of the year while going to school. Isn’t this great city or what? If you decide to run for office in Lancaster, you automatically have 3,000 votes against you courtesy of the Lancaster Baptist Church. Enough said.
CAP'N LANCASTER says
Thank you Michael Rives on behalf of all of us uns who is living under the tyranny of Ole Rex and the Good Ole. Lessin you sell your soul to Ole Rex you will never serve a day on our council because they won’t allow it. By keepin the elections in April and havin voting boots at places like Lancaster Babtist Church Ole Rex can control the vote. Top that offin with having the ballots counted at Lancaster City Hall by Lancaster people’s and you really can’t lose now can you. Keep fightin the good fight and let the people’s know what that scoundrel Ole Rex is up to. He pretty much has the newspaper quiet on his antics.
Robert Johnson (no relation to Sandra Johnson) says
Meet the ANTI-CRIST at the crossroads near the sewage plant and solar field! I did! Now I play a mean guitar outside of BEXs!
William says
Now, to watch and see if rex puts money behind a candidate in one of the districts so he’ll have a foot in the door of Palmdale’s politics.
Wasn’t that the whole point of his participation in the suit?
Tim Scott says
Probably. Ten to one that “district map drawn by the plaintiffs” is gerrymandered to create a west Palmdale district for someone who works at Parris’ law office to run in.
William says
No kidding. rex can’t be trusted to give the right time of day.
However, we will be vigilant for any of his nasty tactics like the mailers he used against Jonathan Ervin, for example.
As far as I can tell, rex’s name is mud in Palmdale and any candidate that has rex’s ‘scent’ on him/her will surely be exposed.
Tim Scott says
I hope you’re right about that. I’m just concerned that there may be a significant corps over in west Palmdale that would welcome the kind of cronyism Rex calls government as long as they get to be the cronies.
H.H. says
Such comments, like the previous ones, are some serious allegations of deep rooted corruption similar to the magnitude of corruption of some place like Bell, Ca! OH YEAH! That’s cause we live in Miller’s Sin City! Another foot toward his ultimate summit: A Seat as Vice President for Chris Christie (picks his fights by way of coin flip… I wonder…)
…i digress.
Since a lawsuit brought this problem to an election overhaul, how would Lancaster be able to do this to our current Mayor to get him to change the election to…um… November? I dunno, maybe taxes and crummy politicians go hand in hand, but if that was the case(<–get it,case), why sue Palmdale?
There goes that pain in my head and ringing in my ear again.
Peg, get me my BC headache powder and a glass of water…
AV Observer says
None of this is the result of a corps in West Palmdale. This is a product of the corrupt good old boy Lancaster political machine of which Rex has been a part of for years. Rex seized on the opportunity to control Palmdale through hand picked lackeys, which could only be achieved through the lawsuit. Never missing an opportunity to line his pockets with money taken from the taxpayers, his greed only added fuel to his insatiable lust for power. Rex’s hypocrisy is evidenced by his refusal to heed to call of his resident to change Lancaster’s archaic election system to one that aligns with the county. As for districts in Lancaster, why would Rex? He has four white west side Republicans and a hand picked African American westsider who was not elected to office. Keep your eyes open for the roster of Rex supported candidates in Palmdale in 2016. Some of them will have strong ties with the Lancaster political machine. Others will be plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Disgusting.
Tim Scott says
When is Rex going to take as much interest in reforms for Lancaster’s horrific electoral process as he has taken in Palmdale’s? I have yet to see a city face either a lawsuit or complaint from their citizens where I couldn’t comment by saying “this is how it is done in Lancaster California” and have the complaining people immediately say “Wow! That’s way worse than what we have!”
CAP'N LANCASTER says
When? Try never. What the hells do you people’s expect from a lyin cheatin hypocrite who sues VFW halls? The man has no moral compass. Let me tell you there ain’t no more disliked person among the local vets than that piece of work.
Doc Rivers says
Marvin Crist is just like Rex, with those two bullies in power Lancaster will never control their government. It will control them.
Doc Rivers says
Btw the vets hate the both of them, that being Rex and Marvin both.
Tim Scott says
Crist is just a sock puppet. If you guys manage to get rid of Rex I would be surprised if his mouth even moves on its own.
William says
I can’t help wondering if rex is really gonna run for re-election next year. The solar stuff is done and the blvd is really done, if ya know what I mean.
What else has rex got up his sleeve to bestow upon the victim, er, I mean Lancaster.
He’s set up marv to clean up his mess and marv is just dumb enough to think it’s a gift from the gods.
Is Ron Smith still on the council or is that a cardboard cutout in his seat? It’s like he’s vanished from the scene after being the boy wonder a few years ago. I guess he’s good for a reliable “Yes” vote on everything rex wants, so he doesn’t have to actually do anything.
As for Sandra Johnson, those for-profit ‘universities’ are coming under close scrutiny lately. I wonder if she stepped down to cover her a** in case they take a closer look at UAV. Would it surprise anyone if UAV wasn’t on the up and up?
How can anyone with the least amount of integrity have anything to do with Lancaster’s government/leadership? There are honest people in the city but the ruling good ol’ boys run the show for their own benefit and they shut out anyone with a conscience.
This is reality teevee at its best.
CAP'N LANCASTER says
Ole Rex and his lap dog Marv are quite the pair. They both is bullies. Ole Rex is much smarter but also out there on the fringe whacks a doodle end of things. Marv is dumber than dumb. Ole Rex is more evil only because lap dog Marv ain’t got the smarts to be evil like Ole Rex. Ya gots to tell Marv what bad things to do. He dumb enough to do them. Them two makes quite a pair. The people are the ones that suffer.
Mr fed up says
This corrupt Lancaster political machine has been going on since runner & Roberts was mayor, why expect a change till citizens gets informed and start voting for better candidates or Lancaster Baptist is going to win every time
William says
Given how rex ‘owns’ Lancaster and pretty much does whatever he wants and has minions that go along with everything he wants, how come Lancaster is such a pathetic mess? He doesn’t have any opposition to his big plans to speak of so when his big ideas go bust, it’s all on him and no one else.
You’d think with his ability to force outcomes, Lancaster would be a roaring success with businesses fighting to locate there in his ‘business friendly’ city instead of in…….y’know. the other city south of it.
So, apparently, for all the power and influence rex thinks he possesses, he ain’t getting much accomplished that benefits the city’s residents. Has the custard shop opened yet?
The only advantage Lancaster has for businesses is that property is cheaper there because it’s simply less desirable. What a shame. And, the fact that it’s less desirable means that businesses have an uphill struggle to make it. How many have folded on the blvd in the last 4+ years after only a year or so in business.
Plus, all the half empty shopping centers that have lost their anchor supermarkets. What’s his plan for those? Solar panels on empty buildings?
Heck, rex doesn’t even promote the blvd anymore like he did at the start. There are shopping centers around the Valley that are busier than the blvd on any given day. Even the half empty ones.
This was all predictable from the very start while rex was boasting and bragging about the blvd being the ‘heart of the Valley’ and ‘a world class destination’. His words. I guess he was thinking of the ‘Valley of the Dolls’ or ‘Death Valley’ or the ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death’ but not the Antelope Valley. If the blvd is the ‘heart of the Valley’ call 911 and begin CPR. Stat.