Read SSDC District 12 Leader Robin Baxter’s comments from the June 16 City Council meeting, during which numerous local residents came forward to strongly oppose Mayor Safford’s efforts to reduce our representation and our power. Need to catch up on the City Charter fight? Check out our “11 Reasons to Speak Out Against the Charter Changes.”
I ask you to vote your conscience, and vote against disenfranchisement.
Robin Baxter, Democratic District 12 Leader
There are many proposed amendments that are actually ‘housekeeping’ type amendments that are appropriate to change by your vote tonight: renumbering, noting the name change of the Design Review Board from Design Review Commission, etc.
There are changes that you should not change, or at least not without the voice of the people through
referendum:
– The Commissioner of Finance’s duty to conduct audits of City operations.
– The assessment duties changes, including removing the goals of equity and fairness.
– The Comprehensive Plan updates.
– Internal hiring of City Historian.
– And I return to the proposed changes to Title 2 and Title 12 regarding the number of County
Supervisors we will elect.
At the last Council meeting, Commissioner Troisi requested that attorneys provide legal authority for opposing the proposed change from “two supervisors” to “one or more … as may be established by County Law.” And I don’t blame her, because it is confusing when one side keeps saying “the law is clear, the County has the power to constitute the Board of Supervisors.” And there are memos passed around explaining how the County has set up the weighted system of voting.
But these do not speak to the issue before YOU.
Over 50 years ago, the Iannucci case was decided. And at that time, yes, like now, the County had the power to determine the make up of the Board of Supervisors. But the Court said County, you cannot go too far, and putting Saratoga Springs at 16,000 population in the same boat with the Town of Day at 600 is too far, too far from the goal of one-person-one-vote. So Saratoga Springs got two.
Well, now we don’t have 16,000 residents, we have 28,000 residents. And the Town of Day still has less than 1,000. And they still have one supervisor.
Now do you think the courts would think Saratoga Springs should now go back to having one supervisor? Of course not. Now, do you think that the County MUST listen to what we believe in our Charter? Perhaps not, since they have the power to constitute the Board.
But what if your giving them OUR PERMISSION puts them over the line to try and reduce our representation?
Do you think that is what our citizens want? I ask you to vote your conscience, and vote against disenfranchisement.