Most voters don’t know what this is all about or why it is necessary. Even though San Mateo and other cities and school districts have gone or are going through the process of informing the community and asking for their input, it is mainly those pushing for these changes who are interested.
When asked why this is happening, local governments will tell you they are being sued, not by the state or federal government, but by a private attorney who has made a big business out of threatening to sue unless the jurisdiction changes from at-large to district elections. Ostensibly, this is being done to make it easier for more candidates, especially minority and low-income residents to participate. It is much cheaper to run in a small district than within the larger boundaries of a city or school district.
But this approach, similar to drowning the baby with the bath water, is not the best answer to achieving a more diverse council or school board. A better solution would be term limits and campaign contribution limits. There are more openings for newcomers in cities which have term limits. School districts don’t have term limits but because serving on a school board is such an arduous task with few rewards, there is often the problem of finding enough qualified candidates to even run for office. Just as important as term limits — capping campaign contributions.
Running for local office should be cheaper today because of social media. A candidate no longer needs signs, expensive mailings or a political consultant. Take the case of James Coleman, the Harvard University senior who successfully unseated a long-term incumbent on the South San Francisco City Council. True, it was made possible by district elections and he only had to compete in a small section of the city. But, if South San Francisco had term limits, most seats would have opened up a long time ago. Previously, four of the five councilmembers had served for almost or in some cases 20 years. Coleman, with his clever use of social media and his network of supporters, could have won that seat in a citywide election at minimal cost.
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Serving on a school board or city council takes time if you want to do more than just attend meetings. If you have a council or school board with members who are not able to do their homework, then it will be the superintendent or city manager who in effect will be making policy as well as running the city or district. That’s why district elections can have negative results. Take Ken Chin, the most able member of the San Mateo-Foster City School District board and the only male member. He turned down an attractive job opportunity so he could spend enough time as an elected official while his wife continued working. The new lines have Chin and a colleague in the same district. Because Chin’s term expires in 2022, his colleague keeps her seat and doesn’t run again until 2024. The new lines mean he will be out in 2022, not by a vote of the people, but by the new district lines. Councilmember Coleman is only half job hunting because he needs to spend time on his council duties and responsibilities. He is single and lives with his parents so he is able to forgo work for a while. Not every candidate may have these options.
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City Council term limits as long as they are reasonable — 12 years — are good for the city. They should be lifelong. Many councilmembers from cities without term limits serve for decades. Someone told me it takes $100,000 to run a council campaign in a city the size of San Mateo. But district elections is not going to eliminate big bucks being spent for certain candidates. Stricter contribution limits would.
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It was a sellout, with 605, the maximum allowed, who showed up at Filoli last week to honor Joe Cotchett, the famous trial lawyer. There were lawyers; elected officials, past and present; and friends from all walks of life who came to pay tribute to someone who has done so much for rich and poor. The San Mateo County Historical Association raised more money in one night than ever before.
“TV chef Martin Yan was quite the sensation when he explained his offering — a day at Runnymede Farm in Woodside with dinner and cooking lessons,” said a happy association President Mitch Postel who is still counting the proceeds from the event.
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