Measure D would change the number of Palo Alto City Council members from nine to seven. Read on to learn why this issue could matter for Palo Altans. [NOTE: Measure D passed in November 2014 by a wide margin].
Since 1971, the Palo Alto City Council has consisted of nine members. Council members are elected in November and take office the following January. There are four seats open on the City Council in the 2014 election. (Read more about who’s running here.) If this amendment is adopted, it would take effect for the November 2018 election, when voters would select three council members rather than five. When these new Council members are sworn in on January 1, 2019, there would be seven members on the new council.
YES on Measure D Arguments:
- Reducing the number of Council members would decrease the cost of paying Council by 22% and save tens of thousands of dollars a year.
- This smaller Council would be more in line with other cities around Palo Alto, including San Mateo, Redwood City, Mountain View and Santa Clara. It would also be the same size as the Palo Alto Unified School District board.
- The size of the City Council increases the time it takes at meetings for Council members to share ideas and meetings often stretch past midnight.
- Decreasing Council size would improve productivity and efficiency.
Advocates for Measure D include: Walter Hays, Liz Kniss, Betsy Bechtel
NO on Measure D arguments:
- The amount of money that would be saved is about $30,000, which is .0054% of the City’s budget and not significant.
- There are a wide range of city council sizes across the U.S. and some cities have over 20 council members. The comparative cities in the “pro” argument have budgets that are half or less than the size of Palo Alto. (For more about Palo Alto city finances, check out this great resource from Palo Alto Pulse.)
- A smaller council means more power in the hands of fewer people and potentially makes campaigns more expensive.
Advocates against Measure D include: Karen Holman, Enid Pearson, Jennifer Chang Hetterly, Thomas Jordan, and Doria Summa
Check out Palo Alto Pulse overviews on Measure B and Measure C, and subscribe to Palo Alto Pulse to stay up to date on the info you need about Palo Alto.
