Resolution No. 2019-054RESOLUTION NO. 2019-54
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
VERNON, CALIFORNIA, REQUESTING THE BOARD OF
SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES TO RENDER
SPECIFIED SERVICES TO THE CITY RELATING TO THE
CONDUCT OF A GENERAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD
ON TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2020
WHEREAS, a General Municipal Election will be held in the
City of Vernon on April 14, 2020; and
WHEREAS, in the course of conducting the election it is
necessary for the City to request services of the County of Los
Angeles; and
WHEREAS, all necessary expenses in performing these services
shall be paid by the City of Vernon.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF VERNON AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1: The City Council of the City of Vernon hereby
finds and determines that the above recitals are true and correct.
SECTION 2: The City Council of the City of Vernon finds
that adoption of this resolution is exempt under the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), because it is an administrative
activity of government that will not result in direct or indirect
physical changes in the environment, and therefore does not constitute
a "project" as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378.
SECTION 3: Pursuant to the provisions of Elections Code
Section 10002, the Vernon City Council requests that the Los Angeles
County Board of Supervisors permit the County Election Department to
provide the following services for use in conducting its election:
1. Provide appropriate forms for candidate statements,
arguments and rebuttals and other forms required -by the
County;
2. Provide signature verification services as needed;
3. Print and mail official ballots and sample ballot
booklet; and
4. Prepare and mail multilingual ballot materials in
accordance with the Voting Rights Act.
SECTION 4: The City shall reimburse the County for services
performed when the work is completed and upon presentation to the City
of a properly approved bill.
SECTION 5: The City Clerk of the City of Vernon shall
certify to the passage, approval and adoption of this resolution, and
the City Clerk of the City of Vernon shall cause this resolution and
the City Clerk's certification to be entered in the File of Resolutions
of the Council of this City.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 3rd day of December, 2019.
ATTEST:
Y( u p4k
Lisa Pope, Ci y Clerk
APPROV AS TO F RM:
Zaynah Moussa,
Senior Deputy City Attorney
- 2 -
a. 404�
Name • Melissa A. Ybarra
Title: Mayor /
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
) ss
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES )
I, Lisa Pope, City Clerk of the City of Vernon, do hereby certify
that the foregoing Resolution, being Resolution No. 2019-54, was duly
passed, approved and adopted by the City Council of the City of Vernon
at a regular meeting of the City Council duly held on Tuesday, December
3, 2019, and thereafter was duly signed by the Mayor or Mayor Pro-Tem
of the City of Vernon.
Executed this I day of December, 2019 at Vernon, California.
(SEAL)
- 3 -
Lisa Pope, C ty Clerk
TRANSMITTAL COMMUNICATION
Of r1 Cr
Lid nOtt
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
4305 Santa Fe Avenue, Vernon, California 90058
Telephone (323) 583-8811
December 9, 2019
Celia Zavala, Executive Officer
Board of Supervisors, County of Los Angeles
Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration
500 West Temple Street, Room 383
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Re: Resolution No. 2019-54 — Requesting County Services
Resolution No. 2019-53 — Calling and Giving Notice of an All -Mail Ballot Election
Dear Ms. Zavala:
Transmitted herewith is a copy of Resolution Nos. 2019-53 and 2019-54 that were approved by
City Council on December 3, 2019.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Lisa Pope at (323) 583-88I1 ext.
546.
Very truly yours,
Deborah R. Juarez
Records Management Assistant
Enclosure
c: City Clerk
Resolution Nos. 2019-53, 2019-54
E,Tdu sivel Industrial
of V er
�Lit� n�ri
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
4305 Santa Fe Avenue, Vernon, California 90058
Telephone (323) 583-8811
December 9, 2019
Dean C. Logan
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Los Angeles County
Election Coordination Unit, 2nd Floor, Rm. 2003
12400 E. Imperial Highway
Norwalk, CA 90650
Re: Resolution No. 2019-54 — A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Vernon,
California, Requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County of Los Angeles to Render
Specified Services to the City Relating to the Conduct of a General Municipal Election to
be Held on Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Dear Mr. Logan:
Transmitted herewith is a certified copy of Resolution No. 2019-54 that was approved by City
Council on December 3, 2019.
If you have any questions regarding this matter, please contact Lisa Pope at (323) 583-8811 ext.
546.
Very truly yours,
g
�
R. JuareZII
Records Management Assistant
Enclosure
c: City Clerk
Resolution No. 2019-54
EXclusiveC Industrial
STAFF REPORT
AGENDA APPROVED 12/03/19 - DJ
City Council Agenda Item Report
Agenda Item No. CO V-522-2019
Submitted by: Lisa Pope
Submitting Department: City Clerk
Meeting Date: December 3, 2019
SUBJECT
April 14, 2020 General Municipal Election
Recommendation:
A. Fed that this action is exempt from the California Envaonmeraal Quality Act (CEQA) review, because it is an
administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes in the environment, and therefore does not
constitute a "project' as defined by CEQA Guidelines Section 15378;
B. Adopt a Resolution calling and giving notice ofan a&n ail ballot General Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday,
April 14, 2020 for the election of a City Council Member as required by the provisions ofthe Charter of the City of
Vernon and submitng a ballot measure to amend the Charter related to Mayoral rotation and a ballot measure levying a
transactions and use tax to the voters at said election;
C. Detennne authors of arguments and rebuttals;
D. Adopt a Resolution requesting the Board of Supervisors ofthe County of Los Angeles to render specked services
to the City relating the conduct ofthe General Municipal Election to be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2020; and
E. Direct the C ity Clerk to transmit a copy ofthe measures to the city attorney for preparation of impartial analyses.
Background:
Pursuant to Vernon Charter Section 5.1 and Municipal Code Section 2.118, the City of Vemon conducts all -mail ballot
General Municipal Elections on the second Tuesday ofApnl each year. The City Council is required to adopt various
resolutions to begin the election process.
Resolution Calling the Election
The fist resolution (Attachment 1) calls the election on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, for the election ofore member of the
City Council for a full five (5) year tern and submits two ballot measures to the voters.
Charter Amendment Ballot Measure
Currently, the Charter dictates that the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tern are selected from the City Council following a
regular municipal election. Charter Chapters 3.5 and 3.6 read as follows:
Chapter 3.5 - At the Council meeting at which any Council Member is installed following a regular municipal ekxtim
and at any time when there is a vacancy in the office of the Mayor, the C'ty Council shall meet and shall elect one of its
members as Mayor."
Chapter 3.6 - At the time that a Mayor is selected, the City Council shall also designate on of is members as Mayor
Pro Tempore."
The proposed ballot measure would establish rotation of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem positions, rather than having
the Council Members vote to elect these positions. A rotational process as prescribed by the proposed ballot measure
AGENDA APPROVED 12/03/19 - DJ
affords equal opportunities for each Council Member to serve as the Cty's Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem at some point in
theirtenure on the Cty Council Similar ballot measures were on the April 2019 ballot but were wthdnawn due to a
technical error on the ballot.
Transaction and Use Tax Ballot Measure
The City has historically operated with a deficit on its General Fund that was partially alleviated via a transfer of hinds
from the electric utility each fiscal year, in order to provide essential services to its residents and businesses. While the
s common practice among public agencies with their own utilities, it is not viewed as a best practice by rating agencies
and regulatory bodies.
The City continues to be confronted with is traditional challenges to provide the core services to is residents and
businesses of public safety and infrastructure, and to address deferred maintenance projects throughout the City, as well
as two additional obstacles in recent years: nnfiaded pension and Other Post-Eirlaloyment Benefits (OPEB) liabilities.
Although the City adopted a 6% utility users' tax (Measure R) on April 10, 2018, and entered into an agreement with
the Fie Protection District of Los Angeles County for fee protection on August 6, 2019, the City sty faces financial
challenges.
The City of Vernon, Ike nemicipaljurisdictiom throughout the state, receives a 1 % Sales and Use Tax pursuant to the
Bradley -Bums Uniform Local Sales Tax and Use Law. CaMmia state law sets a cap for sales and use tax at 10.25%
with a few exceptions as allowed by state legislation. The total sales tax assessed in the City is currently 9.5%,
comprised of the following:
6.25%California State Rate
1%County Transportation
1 % County Metro Transportation
I%City of Vemon
.25% County of Los Angeles Rate (County Homeless Services)
The City remain committed to is Good Governance reforms, including fiscal accourtabifty and transparency, financial
stability, as well as securing additional sources of revenue that are necessary to retain the Ciity's current levels of service.
One option to address budget deficits and build fuhue reserves s the consideration of three-quarter cent (0.750%) local
sales tax (technically, a 'Transactions and Use Tax'). Proceeds from the tax would be locally protected fiords that could
be used for maintaining and improving City services including safety, infrastructure, streets and housing An increase to
the Cty's sales tax would 'increase the Cityls revenue by approximately $6 million per year.
Arguments and Rebuttals
Elections Code Sections 9282 and 9285 allow for submittal of written arguments and rebuttal arguments. At is
December 18, 2018 meeting, the Council authored the Mayor to prepare and file arguments in favor of the proposed
ballot measure related to Mayoral rotation. The Council may wish to do the same for these ballot measures. Elections
Code Section 9286 requires the elections official to fix the date 14 days from the calling ofthe election as the deadline
for submittal ofarguments and Elections Code Section 9285 indicates rebuttal arguments shall be submitted no later
than 10 days after the feral fnTng date for primary arguments. Therefore, arguments would be due no later than
December 17, 2019, and rebuttals mast be submitted by December 30, 2019, since C'ty Hall is closed on Friday,
December 27, 2019.
Impartial Analysis
AGENDA APPROVED 12/03/19 - DJ
Elections Code Section 9280 provides for preparation of impartial analyses, showing the effect ofthe measures, by the
City Attorney. The inpartsl analyses are due at the same as the initial arguments.
Candidate Statement Regulations
Elections Code Section 13307 allows candidates to prepare a candidate statement for inclusion in the voter's pamphlet
On October 21, 2014, the Council adopted Resolution No. 2014-64 (Attachment 2) adopting regulations regarding
candidate statements submitted to voters in a general nunicipal or special municipal election. This resolution applies to
the April 2020 election
Resolution Requesting County Services
The second resolution (Attachment 3) requests the services of the Los Angeles County Election Deparbnent to provide
appropriate forrrs, and signature verification services, and prepare, prig and mail official ballots and ballot materials.
Ballot Drop -Off Locations
In prior elections, the City has offered an additional ballot drop-off location on election day. No ballots weredropped
ofat the Vernon Five Station in the October 2019 Special Municipal Election and onlyone was dropped of in April
2019 because the resident "was Wrested in seeing the process". Staff will consider options for providing the best value
for voters and will nfonn voters of such
Nomination Period
The nomination period for the April 14, 2020 Election beg0s December 23, 20199 at which time candidates nay obtain
nomination papers and requivd fifing materials from the C'ty Clerk Department. The last day to file nomination papers
is January 21, 2020 (since City Hall is closed January 17 and 20, 2020). If an incumbent Pais to file, the period is
extended to January 27, 2020.
Fiscal Impact:
The proposed Transaction and Use Tax ballot Treasure is anticipated to generate approxinately $6 million annually.
Account No. 011. 1003.596300 has $21,346 which is expected to be sufficient to cover the cost of the election
ATTACHMENTS
• 1. Resokaion Calling Election
• 2. Resoktion No. 2014-64 regarding Candidate Statements
• 3. Resolution Requesting County Services