Effort revived to divide West Covina into council districts
West Covina community activists are at it again with an effort to divide the city into five council districts. Fred Sykes and Alfred Williams tried in August to get this approved but tried but failed because of issues regarding the ballot title and summary. They submitted their initiative measure to the city Nov. 24, and yesterday city officials gave the go ahead to the pair to start collecting signatures.
The whole point of the measure, both said, is to make it cheaper for people to run for office and to increase representation for all portions of the city. Currently, four of five council members live in the affluent South Hills. Only Mayor Roger Hernandez lives outside of the area.
Previously, however, council members referred to this as a power grab.
Here is the past article.
Council district proposal fails
San Gabriel Valley Tribune ( West Covina , CA) - Friday, August 31, 2007
Author/Byline: Frank C. Girardot Staff Writer
Section: News
WEST COVINA - A proposal to divide the city into five council districts failed to make the November ballot.
Organizers submitted petitions containing nearly 6,000 signatures to Sue Rush, West Covina 's assistant City Clerk, earlier this month. But she rejected the petition on Aug. 10 for several reasons, according to a a statement from the city issued Thursday.
"The most significant (flaw) was the petition's failure to provide a summary of the initiative on the top of each page signed by supporters," the press release said.
Rush did not return phone calls.
Supporters said dividing the city into council districts would make running for office less expensive for candidates and give voters more local representation. Opponents of the plan said the divisions could result in uneven distribution of sales tax revenues.
Petition supporter Fred Sykes filed a lawsuit on Thursday asking county Superior Court Judge David P. Yaffe to force the city to release the petition to the county Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office and be placed on the November ballot. But the judge declined to issue an order, Sykes said.
"We hoped to get this on the November ballot," he said. "I thought I would be able to testify, but the judge said he would not listen to live testimony."
Sykes , who is running for City Council, said it was not likely he would appeal.
"I spent the $3,000 to get this case heard," he said. "I have yet to try to raise $40,000 to $50,000 for the campaign. It's probably going to have to stay where it is. It's a dead issue right now."
West Covina Mayor Mike Touhey said the ruling isn't necessarily a vindication for the city.
"It's a win, but with Fred Sykes , it's just one issue after another causing the city to spend money on lawsuits," Touhey said. "I call it campaigning at taxpayer's expense."
In their answer to the suit, the city contended that Sykes and fellow petitioners may have misled signers by not attaching a map of the proposed districts and other legally required information.
"I don't know what they may have told people at their front door," Touhey said. "I'm concerned what they may have told people when they were gathering the signatures.
"I don't know if they got 6,000 through straight up information or through biased information."
Sykes denied the charge.
"Absolutely no way," Sykes said. "Their position was that citizens were stupid. That's not the case."
frank.girardot@sgvn.com
However the structure the districts, they should make sure that each district candidate has an incentive to listen to the needs of that district.
Caution: You may not want a district set-up that ghettoize one poor district so that you have this one poor district and their council person perpetually being out-voted 4 to 1 on issues that might benefit the people living in that district.
Maybe what you want to do is make sure that each district created has a substantial share of the less affluent areas of the city so that candidates MUST compete for those votes and take the issues of the residents in poorer areas seriously.
Just my 2 cents
Cities that have district have more polarization and infighting than those without. all representatives should care for ALL of the City. not just each one looking out for only thier own - which is what it will turn in to.
Good point.
I think the County Board of Supervisors is a great example of what happens when you have board members who are only accountable to one narrow constituency.
The general good never gets served because each can tell his or her constituents that its THOSE OTHER BASTARDS from that other district who are to blame for why things can't get done or done right.
As long as each member has a convenient whipping boy to point to, he or she never has to feel personally accountable.
Personally I would rather have a little infighting if it is about what is best for the residents rather than what we have now. The residents do not have representation, only the developers do. If you cannot fund the councilmembers campaigns they do not care what you have to say!
Using Councilmember Touhey house as a center point Councilmember Herfert is .85 miles from Touhey, Mayor Hernandez is the next closest is 1.64 miles from Touhey, Councilmember Lane is 1.85 miles from Touhey and the furthest is Mayor Pro-Tem Sanderson which is 2.17 miles from Touhey. WC Resident, If you use Campaign Donations to measure who has raised the most Herfert 1, Touhey 2, Hernandez 3, Sanderson 4 and Lane 5. Touhey and Herfert might be switched around too, they also have served the longest. WC Resident, Or do business owners in the city have no rights to protect their interest? Your a former LA County union employee does your union have a right to make donations? They just donated 8 Million dollars to support Supervisor Mark Ridley Thomas. If so, why can't a business support who they would like? No matter how you go at Large or Districts, you still need 3 votes so you need 2 other votes to agree with you or there's no difference.
Interesting, The City is currently divided when looking at School Districts, let me explain. West Covina Unified is the largest serving West Covina residents it has 2 Council Members, Council Member Herfert and Council Member Touhey. Then Covina Valley Unified is the 2nd largest serving West Covina residents it has 2 Council Members, Council Member Lane and Mayor Pro-Tem Sanderson. Then Rowland Unified is the 3rd largest serving West Covina residents it has 1 Council member, Mayor Roger Hernandez. The City is also served by appox. 4 other school districts. with much lower student numbers.
WHO DO I GET A HOLD OF TO HELP OUT!!! I WANT TO HELP WITH COLLECTING SIG'S
Jennifer McLain, I have requested our city manager to agendize for the Jan. 6, 2009 Council meeting putting to a vote of the people on the next regularly scheduled City Council election November 3, 2009 whether the residents want council members elected by districts or not #1, this would save the cost of a special election which saves the City of West Covina appox. $60,000.00 plus dollars. Two different district proposals 4-Council Districts plus an elected Mayor at large or the 5-Council Districts as currently proposed. I will be bringing this forward and mentioning it at the Tuesday Dec. 16, 2008 Council meeting, for the Jan. 6, 2009 Council meeting to place it for an official vote of the Council at the Tuesday Jan. 20, 2009 Council meeting . We can let the voters of the great City of West Covina decide.
Councilmember Michael Touhey
Let them all run. The more the merrier. I want to see more women. They do a better job as compared to the men. No districts. Keep it simple. I personally know them all. I think that I would like to throw my hat in the ring. If you can't beat them then join them. I got nothing to lose. Except my sanity.
Mike I was happy to hear your side of the story. You have my support as always.