City of Menifee
Measure Creating a Fifth City Council District, and
Eliminating the Citywide Election of the Mayor, Commencing in 2022
The City Council of the City of Menifee (“City Council”) has placed before the voters the question to create a fifth City Council District and eliminate the citywide election of the Mayor, starting in 2022.
The Menifee Municipal Code currently provides for four City Council Districts. Each City Council District elects a City Council Member, resulting in four City Council Members. The Mayor is selected separately based on a citywide election (sometimes referred to as an “at-large” election).
If this Measure I is adopted, starting with the election in November 2022, a fifth City Council District will be created, and the process for selecting the Mayor based on a citywide election will be eliminated. After November 2022, the City Council will select the Mayor from among its members.
If adopted, Measure I will make two additional changes so that the City would be ready for the transition to a fifth City Council District by 2022. First, the term of the Office of Mayor for the at-large mayoral election in 2020 will be shortened from four years to two years. Second, the City will start developing the geographic boundaries for the five City Council Districts after the 2020 election, relying on data from the 2020 census and the expert advice of an independent demographer.
Last, if Measure I is adopted, the process of redrawing district boundaries based on census data and the expert advice of an independent demographer would be repeated every ten years.
A “Yes” vote is a vote in favor of the creation of a fifth City Council District and the elimination of the at-large Mayor, commencing in 2022. A “No” vote is a vote to retain the existing process of selecting four City Council Members based on district elections and a Mayor through a citywide election.
This measure will be approved if it receives a simple majority of “Yes” votes.
Dated: August 20, 2018
By: Jeffrey Melching, City Attorney
The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure I. If you desire a copy of the ordinance or measure, please call the elections official’s office at (951) 672-6777 and a copy will be mailed, emailed, or otherwise provided at no cost to you.