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Help decide whether to change the way Mission Viejo leaders are elected in the future

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Residents can weigh in on the City of Mission Viejo’s possible transition from at-large to district-based council member elections by drawing City maps and submitting comments online.
 
The City is in the process of considering the switch from at-large to district-based elections due to potential litigation from a Malibu-based law firm claiming Mission Viejo’s at-large elections violate the California Voting Rights Act of 2001.
 
Residents have two options for submitting a map with their district ideas, which are detailed in the City of Mission Viejo Districting Public Participation Kit.
 
Background Council meeting video and information regarding district-based elections is also available on these pages as well as instructions for submitting proposed maps.
 
Residents needing assistance with drawing maps can drop by the Mission Viejo Library at 100 Civic Center or call the City Clerk’s Office with questions at 949-470-3052.
 
District scenarios should be submitted to the City of Mission Viejo by January 31, 2018.

Comments

Submitted by Carolyn Kruebbe on Fri, 12/22/2017 - 8:29 am

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I was going to write EXACTLY what Frank wrote. Let's have some transparency about what brought this about.

Submitted by Sharon Cody on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 5:09 pm

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Lets go to court. It is ridiculous that an outside law firm is telling our citizen that we MUST change to districts rather than at-large elections.

Submitted by Marian Farmer on Sat, 12/23/2017 - 9:10 am

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I agree with Carlyn and Frank, I want to educate myself before commenting. A little more information about who and why someone from another city is trying to tell us how to elect our officials.

Submitted by Frank Nikkhou on Thu, 12/21/2017 - 7:01 pm

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It would be interesting to see who is funding the litigation by this Malibu-based law firm and what is the motivation behind it. I am not pro or against this possible change yet, but would like to get myself educated, before I make a decision.

Submitted by Laura on Sat, 12/23/2017 - 10:22 am

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If you want to find out more about why the City is being asked to redistrict, read the minutes from the City Council meetings. Here are a few that I saw that may help answer some of your questions.
Robert Breton, MV, stated that in Mission Viejo, minorities are disbursed evenly throughout the City and he is opposed to district based elections.
Bob Ollry, MV, stated that he has never seen a more racially integrated city and that the threat of litigation is a shakedown by two attorneys in Malibu who have no business telling Mission Viejo how to run the City.
Bob Ruesch, MV, expressed concern that the City is being forced to take a the path of district representation and was wondering if the residents would get the best people representing the City or the best people representing the District.
Dennis O'Connor stated that he is undecided on the topic and he shared some of his observations both pro and con, for district elections.
Gail Reavis, MV, stated that she doesn't see a need for districts because she was one of the two people elected o the Mission Viejo City Council who is Latino and she served for eight years.
Larry Gilbert, MV, said the he was amused to see an argument that the City might be in violation of the California Voting Rights Act. He noted that former City Council candidate Joe Chavez lost the election in which he ran due to the fact he did not spend any money in his campaigns, not due to block voting. He also stated that to the best of his knowledge, no Latino has ever been discouraged from running for office in Mission Viejo.
By consensus the City Council authorized the City Manager/City Attorney to spend up to $100,000 to immediately begin investigating the City's past elections in order to evaluate the claim of racially polarized elections.

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