San Jose Mayor-Elect Matt Mahan is calling for a special election to fill two city council seats that will be vacated after this November election, arguing that residents in District 8 and 10 should have a say in who represents them.
It marks the very first major political maneuver by Mahan as mayor-elect — and may put him at immediate odds with his more progressive colleagues just as he enters office. Mahan, who represents District 10, defeated Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez in a bitter fight this month for the city’s top seat, while District 8 Councilmember Sylvia Arenas will be taking over as a county supervisor.
“There is no more fundamental principle in our society than self determination,” said Mahan outside of City Hall on Monday afternoon, flanked by dozens of supporters who chanted and held signs calling for a special election.
The future of the two seats up for grabs will be decided in December when council members and Mayor Sam Liccardo come together for a vote. Liccardo has come out in support of Mahan’s position.
But the cost of the special election, which would allow the winners to serve out the remaining terms on the seats until 2024, is estimated to cost millions, according to an estimate by the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters.
New voting laws that have expanded accessibility, along with the increase in labor and material costs, have pushed the projected cost of two primary and runoff special elections between $7 and $11 million. The last special election to be held in the city was in 2015 and cost roughly $1 million dollars.
Despite the big bucks, supporters of the special election say its worth it. They have also crafted a petition that has garnered about 1,000 signatures, according to Mahan.
“That’s the price for democracy,” said District 8 resident Sukhdev Bainiwal, who stood behind the mayor-elect during his Monday speech. “You gotta pay.” Others standing with Mahan on Monday included District 7 Councilmember-Elect Bien Doan and Evergreen School District Board Member-Elect Mary Hien Pollett.
Whether there will be a big fight over what happens to the District 8 and District 10 seats was still up in the air as of Monday, but Mahan and his supporters accused “special interests” of wanting to appoint councilmembers for the vacant seats. That option, they argue, would allow councilmembers to sidestep voters.
Similar to a special election, an appointed councilmember would serve out a term of two years remaining on the seats. The council can also appoint someone in the interim to fill the seat until the special elections take place.
On Monday, the council’s more progressive members offered a mixture of responses to Mahan’s position. Arenas supports an appointment, citing the need for someone to swiftly represent her district.
“I believe it’s vitally important that District 8 residents continue to have a strong voice on the San Jose City Council without interruption,” she said in a statement. “So even as the Registrar of Voters finalizes the official results in the supervisors’ race, the council must begin working to quickly fill this anticipated vacancy.”
District 4 Councilmember David Cohen said that “compelling” cases exist for both options and that he expects a “robust discussion” at the upcoming council meeting. Cohen, along with District 2’s Sergio Jimenez, requested a memo earlier this month which included the projected costs of the special election.
Source: www.mercurynews.com