Whittier Moves Toward November Elections and 12-Year Lifetime Term Limits

City Clerk Rigo Garcia presented proposed ballot language asking voters whether Whittier should move its general municipal elections from April to the November statewide general election cycle. Screenshot from City of Whittier public meeting broadcast, CityTV Channel 3.

The Whittier City Council moved forward Tuesday night with plans to bring back ballot measures that could shift city elections from April to November and establish a 12-year lifetime term limit for city elected officials.

The discussion came during Item 9A, a staff report on general municipal election dates and term limits. City Clerk Rigo Garcia presented the report and walked the council through several policy decisions needed before the city attorney returns with ordinances and resolutions for formal council approval.

Garcia said the election-date discussion built on previous council direction to move Whittier’s general municipal elections from April to November. The proposed ballot question would ask voters whether the City Charter should be amended so Whittier’s general municipal elections, currently held in April of even-numbered years, are instead held in each even-numbered year on the same day as the November statewide general election.

The proposed charter language would amend Section 1000 of the Whittier City Charter so that general municipal elections are held in even-numbered years on the same date as the statewide general election. The proposed language states that the first such general municipal election would be held Tuesday, November 7, 2028.

The proposed charter language would move Whittier’s general municipal elections to the same date as the statewide general election, with the first such election scheduled for November 7, 2028. Screenshot from City of Whittier public meeting broadcast, CityTV Channel 3.

Garcia said the proposed charter language ties Whittier’s election date to the statewide general election, rather than only naming November. That would avoid the need to amend the charter again if the state later changes the date of the statewide general election.

Councilmembers raised no objection to the proposed ballot question or the proposed charter language.

The council also agreed to use an ad hoc committee to prepare the argument in favor of the election-date measure. Garcia explained that the council had several options, including authorizing individual councilmembers to write an argument, creating an ad hoc committee, or not designating councilmembers to write arguments at all. He said an argument written by an individual councilmember would not return to the full council for approval, while an ad hoc committee could draft an argument for council approval.

Councilmembers Aida Macedo and Vicky Santana were selected for the ad hoc committee.

The council also decided not to authorize rebuttal arguments for the election-date measure. Garcia explained that direct arguments in favor and against the measure could still appear in the voter guide if submitted, but rebuttal arguments would not be permitted.

Councilmembers also directed that voters receive both the full text of the ordinance and a 500-word impartial analysis prepared by the city attorney. Councilmember Mary Ann Pacheco said she preferred giving voters as much information as possible, even if printing more material costs more. She said relying only on online access could be a barrier for some voters.

City Attorney Keith F. Collins and City Manager Conal McNamara during the Item 9A staff report on election dates and term limits. The council directed staff to return with ordinances and resolutions before any measure is formally placed on the ballot. Screenshot from City of Whittier public meeting broadcast, CityTV Channel 3.

The council also discussed possible ballot measure letters. Councilmembers considered letters connected to elections and term limits, including “E,” “EV,” or “EL,” while recognizing that final letter designations are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

After the election-date discussion, the council turned to term limits. Garcia said the council had previously directed staff to prepare options for a 12-year term limit and asked whether the limit should be based on the number of terms served or the number of years served.

Councilmembers favored a 12-year limit based on total years served, regardless of whether someone serves as mayor, councilmember, or some combination of both offices. That approach would avoid separate calculations based on Whittier’s different term lengths, with councilmembers serving four-year terms and the mayor serving two-year terms.

The council also discussed how appointed service should count if a person is appointed to fill a vacancy. Pacheco raised concern that someone appointed for a short period, such as one year, could be unfairly prevented from later serving a full 12 years through voter election. Santana raised the opposite concern, saying an appointed official should not be able to serve more total years than an elected official.

After discussion with staff and the city attorney, the council moved toward a compromise in which appointed service would count toward the 12-year limit if the appointed official serves at least half of the applicable term. The exact ordinance language will be drafted and brought back later for council review.

Councilmembers also agreed that the term limit should be a lifetime cap, rather than a limit that resets after a cooling-off period. Mayor James Becerra recommended a lifetime cap, and other councilmembers agreed.

Councilmembers favored making the proposed 12-year term limit a lifetime cap rather than allowing eligibility to reset after a cooling-off period. Screenshot from City of Whittier public meeting broadcast, CityTV Channel 3.

The council also kept Macedo and Santana as the ad hoc committee members for the term-limit measure argument.

No final ballot measure was adopted Tuesday night. Instead, the council gave direction for ordinances and procedural resolutions to be drafted and returned before the applicable election deadline. Those future actions would be needed before any election-date or term-limit measure is formally placed on the ballot.

If ultimately placed before voters and approved, the changes would move Whittier’s city elections from April to the November statewide general election cycle and limit city elected officials to 12 years of total lifetime service.