Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Santa Ana's top news & views blog

Tag Archives: ward specific elections

The Santa Ana City Council picked new wards that excluded Ceci Iglesias

Posted on by Posted in 2020 Elections, Cecilia Iglesias, Civic Affairs, Politics, Santa Ana 6 Comments

 

Santa Ana Ward Map C2

Santa Ana City officials have finally selected the new boundaries for the city’s six wards, which will kick off Santa Ana’s transition to by-district voting in two years, according to the O.C. Register.

Santa Ana’s voters passed a Ward Specific City Council measure in the recent General Election. The measure was put on the ballot after the City of Santa Ana was sued by an organization that was seeking to level the playing field for the city’s Asian-American voters. You can read more about the ward-specific measure and proceedings here. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana City Council majority will try to change our ward maps before they term out

Posted on by Posted in Ballot Measures, Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana 1 Comment

The Santa Ana City Council majority

The Santa Ana City Council majority has voted to start drawing up plans to place a measure on the November ballot to change our City Council elections to a ward-specific model.

But that’s not all. Most of the Santa Ana City Council majority is going to term out in November. But now they want to change our ward maps before they leave City Hall. The last time they did this Councilman Sal Tinajero made sure to remove Asian voters from his Ward. What shenanigans will they be up to this time? Continue reading→

The Santa Ana City Council majority will try again on Monday to illegally extend their term limits

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, Elections, Jose Solorio, Miguel Pulido, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

The Santa Ana City Council majority – David Benavides, Vince Sarmiento, Sal Tinajero and Jose Solorio

The four clowns on the current Santa Ana City Council majority are going to try again to illegally place a district election measure on the June Primary Election ballot this Monday, at a last minute special City Council meeting set at 1:30 p.m.

The agenda for this meeting notes that this will be a conference with legal counsel regarding a threat or anticipated/potential litigation. Well that is true as the City Council majority got caught violating the Brown Act last week as they secretly texted each other to discuss the special meeting that was supposed to be held on Friday. Continue reading→

The S.A. City Council majority got caught trying to illegally place a district election measure on the June ballot

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, Elections, Jose Solorio, Juan Villegas, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Orange County, Politics, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 1 Comment

The Santa Ana City Council majority proved once again this week that they are a bunch of clowns as their efforts to illegally place a district specific elections measure on the June primary election ballot failed miserably, according to the Voice of OC.

The City Council majority, which included Vince Sarmiento, Sal Tinajero, David Benavides and their new pal Jose Solorio, voted on Tuesday, this week, to place this measure on the June ballot. But they once again underestimated Mayor Miguel Pulido, who proceeded to punk them in royal fashion. Continue reading→

The Santa Ana City Council majority is trying to sneak through a major change to our local elections

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, David Benavides, Education, Jose Solorio, Juan Villegas, Michele Martinez, Miguel Pulido, Roman Reyna, Sal Tinajero, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 2 Comments

The Santa Ana City Council majority is up to their old tricks again. This time they are trying to sneak through major changes to our local elections ordinance without much input from the public.

They are going to consider, at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, placing a ballot measure on the June Primary Election ballot that will change our City Council elections to district-specific elections instead of the current at-large model. Continue reading→

Is the Santa Ana City Council going to push for ward-specific elections and full time pay?

Posted on by Posted in 2018 elections, Civic Affairs, Santa Ana 4 Comments

I heard today from a Santa Ana City Hall insider (yes one of my pajaritos) that the Santa Ana City Council is seriously looking at changing our City Council elections to a Ward-Specific model. Currently we elect our Council Members at large – but they have to live in a specific Ward (unless they move of course).

But that’s not all – the City Council majority – which includes Mayor Pro Tem Michele Martinez, and Council Members David Benavides, Sal Tinajero and Vince Sarmiento, are also allegedly going to ask the voters to make them full time elected officials – with six figure salaries. Continue reading→

Councilman Sal Tinajero is now advocating for Ward-Specific City Council elections

Posted on by Posted in 2016 Elections, Angelica Amezcua, David De Leon, Elections, Jose Solorio, Joshua Mauras, Santa Ana 2 Comments
Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero

Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero

Santa Ana City Councilman Sal Tinajero is finally getting behind an idea that we have been touting for years – changing Santa Ana’s City Council elections to a Ward-Specific model, according to the O.C. Register.

Currently the City Council candidates have to live in the Wards they represent but the voting is conducted at-large, or citywide. That favors well-funded candidates who will sell out to special interests while the Ward-Specific model would be a boon to grassroots candidates as it is possible to walk an entire Ward but almost impossible to walk the entire City of Santa Ana. Continue reading→

Assemblyman wants to end at-large elections for large cities like Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Politics, Santa Ana 3 Comments
Assemblyman Roger Hernandez

Assemblyman Roger Hernandez

There is an effort underway to collect signatures to place a referendum on the ballot to change the way we elect Council Members here in Santa Ana from At Large to Ward Specific.  But it may be that we won’t have to go to such lengths after all!

With the recent uptick in cities facing scrutiny over at-large elections, perhaps it’s no wonder that the issue has attracted the attention of the State Legislature. Assembly Member Roger Hernandez of West Covina announced today that he plans to introduce legislation requiring all non-charter cities that have a population of 100,000 or more to hold district-based elections, according to the California City News. Continue reading→

Effort underway to bring Ward-Specific Council elections to Santa Ana

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, David Benavides, Michele Martinez, Roman Reyna, Santa Ana 6 Comments

Tinajero, Martinez and Benavides

I have been advocating for Ward-Specific City Council elections, here in Santa Ana, for many years.  Our current system, which features six Wards, forces candidates to campaign in the entire city.  That is a very expensive proposition.  It leads to corruption as the candidates inevitably have to sell out to Special Interests in order to raise the humongous amounts of money needed to run for our City Council.

Just how corrupt our system is came to light today in a Voice of OC article that fingered three of our Council Members for allegedly accepting money under less than legal circumstances, from an apartment developer of course.

Hope is not lost however as I have discovered that there is in fact an effort underway to place a measure on the ballot to allow the voters of this city to opt for a Ward-Specific Council election system.  In that scenario the Council candidates would only have to campaign in one Ward.  They could conceivably walk that ward all on their own.  They could meet all the voters and garner their support.  The Special Interests? They would be out of luck. Continue reading→

Isn’t it time to diversify our City Council via ward-specific elections?

Posted on by Posted in 2014 Elections, Angelica Amezcua, Brett Franklin, Elections, Santa Ana, Vince Sarmiento 17 Comments

Santa Ana City Council

Diverse? No!

The last time someone tried to change our City Council elections from at large to ward specific the effort failed, primarily because white voters were told that the infamous Nativo Lopez was behind the scheme.  And he was.  At the time the only way anyone ever figured that we would have more Latinos on the City Council would be via ward-specific elections.

Well now we have an all-Latino City Council and they’re an embarrassment.  As the city reels in yet another budget crisis they wasted weeks firing our City Manager, Paul Walters, so they could hire a temp, Kevin O’Rourke, who is costing us over $22K a month.  In Santa Ana that passes for progress.

If we had a ward-specific election system it is likely that former Council Member Brett Franklin would have won in Ward 3 last year.  Instead a total unknown, Angelica Amezcua, who did not even campaign, won.  She of course joined the other Council Members in firing Walters, proving she too is worthless. Continue reading→

Is it time for ward-specific City Council elections in Santa Ana?

Posted on by Posted in Civic Affairs, Elections, Politics, Santa Ana 4 Comments

Ward Map-Color2

Did you know that Santa Ana City Council elections are conducted on a citywide basis, but you have to live in the ward that you are running for?  That’s odd, isn’t it?

In most cities, local elections are conducted on a ward-specific basis.  That means you vote for yoiur council member – not those who represent other wards.  That makes sense, doesn’t it? Continue reading→