South San Francisco narrows down potential election map

Officials shared mild enthusiasm over the process, recognizing dissatisfaction expressed by residents who believe the move brought in the face of a legal threat is not in the community’s best interest, according to video of the Thursday, May 23, meeting.

“We’re being extorted somehow because some ambulance chaser is coming after us. And if that’s the situation, I’d rather stand and fight and pay the cost. And I know it would be a lot, but I’m giving up my right to vote for all of you as opposed to one member. And I see that as a significant loss,” said resident John Petrovitz.

Petrovitz’s concerns address the legal challenge posed by an attorney claiming to represent a group of community members feeling shut out of the electoral process by the city’s at-large election system.

State voting law favors by-district elections, so South San Francisco officials chose to avoid the potentially costly and lengthy legal process by agreeing to adopt the move away from the system awarding council seats to the highest vote getters in a general election.

City Manager Mike Futrell recognized the frustration shared by those critical of the process, but defended officials’ decisions to err on the side of caution and avoid the courtroom.

“The way the law is written in Sacramento, it’s just extremely difficult for cities to win,” said Futrell, noting the $4 million payment required in Pasadena following the city’s failed attempt to defend itself in court.

While also acknowledging the city’s decision was forced, Councilman Pradeep Gupta echoed Petrovitz’s sentiment regarding shortcomings of the new system.

“The major issue that I’m agreeing with is that each individual voter of the city would have their voting power limited to only one councilmember,” he said.

Despite his reservations, Gupta acknowledged the city’s direction on the matter was set following their vote to adopt the by-district system a few months ago. Officials are hosting a series of public meetings with an eye on ultimately selecting the new electoral map later this summer.

As part of that effort, Gupta said he preferred the two map alignments most popular with the rest of his colleagues. The two maps are largely similar, barring the treatment of the city’s eastern and southern regions.

A majority opinion held among officials also reflects an informal survey of residents, who have been polled during community events such as the farmers’ market and other gatherings.

Despite the outreach hosted by officials, some residents called for a more comprehensive input collection process with an eye on gathering as many opinions as possible.

Officials though noted they are limited in the amount of time they can spend during the transition, as the legal process assures they should move ahead within three months. If they stall, officials are fearful they would again expose the city to the threat of a costly lawsuit.

Noting the compressed transition schedule, Futrell said officials will ultimately enjoy a more thorough and comprehensive process when they again draw new boundaries after the 2020 election.

The map selected will be required to be amended before the 2024 election, as a new census is slated to be released in the interim, forcing officials to again asses whether the electoral maps are appropriate for the city’s updated demographic definitions.

“Following the 2020 census we must repeat this process,” said Futrell. “At that time, we will not be under the gun, we will not be rushed, and if the council decides to choose some other method for redistricting at that point … that might be appropriate.”

But given the feedback offered by officials at the most recent meeting, Futrell said he believes the existing process will be able to move ahead more efficiently.

“I think that gives us enough to separate some of the good from the bad,” he said.

austin@smdailyjournal.com

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