From In the News and InBox: Appoint or Elect

Grand Terrace to decide council selection method
Ryan Hagen, Staff Writer
Posted: 12/19/2010 06:08:19 PM PST

GRAND TERRACE - The City Council will decide whether to elect or appoint the fifth member of the body at a special meeting starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

The council was scheduled to decide how to fill the seat, which opened up when Walt Stanckiewitz became mayor, at its regular meeting Dec. 14.

But with two of the four members indicating an election was necessary to give the people a proper voice and two saying the city could not afford the price tag, they agreed to meet again after checking to see if that price could be lowered by scheduling the election alongside another city's.

The county registrar of voters said no - the election would still cost $45,000 to $50,000, or $31,000 if the city used mailed ballots.

Seventeen residents spoke about the issue at the last meeting. Most argued the council should appoint Sylvia Robles, who lost November's two-person council race by 45 votes. Five said the city deserved an election.

Council members avoided coming down definitively.

Councilman Bernardo Sandoval said he wasn't sure the city could afford the election - which would come out of a General Fund reserve of nearly $1.6 million - but was sensitive to community members who thought Robles would form a bloc with him and Stanckiewitz because they based their elections on similar issues.

"I have talked to Sylvia probably on four or five occasions," he said. "We have fundamental disagreements, especially on the school board."

Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia said she had a good dynamic with all of the sitting members, but also said there were too few people present to represent the city.

"In my heart, I think the fair thing to do is to let the people decide," she said.
Five of the city's six past vacancies have been filled by appointment.

more: http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_16899550#ixzz18fuOXvCT

FROM THE EMAIL INBOX

Gramp Please you have to remind us that on Lee Ann Garcia's first appointment she voiced no such thoughts the Citizens should have a vote. Nor did she when she appointed 2 other appointments during her terms in office. This new found position is interesting given she has at least some evidence of who the voters want where as in the past she made a selection and appointment without the aid of a recent election.

What is happening is that she is fearful of losing the support of her voter block by appointing the Voter's Choice, and fearful of a loss in the next election if she doesn't appoint the Voter's Choice.

Sandoval is right Sylvia is different than he and Stanckiewitz. Folks that see them as linked at the hip are just wrong. However, Sandoval and Stanckiewitz do see the facts that she would most likely win an election, and did get support from a significant portion of the electorate in the last election.

The concept that Robles shares with Stanckiewitz and Sandoval is that there needs to be a full accounting and correction of the past and to move forward with an open, clean and financially responsible city government. We must ask Garcia and McNaboe what of that list they do not support. Then in two years ask do we want them on the council during a "Normal" Election Cycle.