From Dan Abendschein’s article in the Pasadena Star:
“People’s concern about districts is that a council member becomes too focused on their own district and not on the entire city,” said Doug Johnson, a politics fellow at the Rose Institute, and a consultant for a research firm that has helped cities draw up districting plans.
That could particularly be a problem with Glendora, which has a population of about 50,000, and will have districts of around 10,000 people, many of whom might not be registered voters.
Most cities with districts have population at least 150,000 people, Johnson said.
He added that when cities as small as Glendora have a district proposal, it is usually because a neighborhood feels ignored, or people feel that developers are dominating local politics.
“Sometimes it is just to shake up the system when people are unhappy with the government,” said Johnson. “Local politics are a contact sport in Glendora, so this isn’t too surprising to see.”
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Pomona’s district plan, which was adopted in 1990, also highlighted another hazard of district elections: If turnout is low in a district, a small number of people can decide the election.“They had some council members in Pomona that were elected with just 300 or 400 backers,” said Johnson. “For a city of well over 100,000, that was a concern.”
Pomona fixed the problem, said Johnson, by moving its municipal elections to November, and consolidating with national elections, leading to a larger turnout.
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Johnson said that Pomona and Pasadena’s district plans were both driven by an emerging Latino minority. In fact, according to city sources, lawsuits were filed by activists in both cities to demand districts.
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Johnson said that Pomona and Pasadena’s district plans were both driven by an emerging Latino minority. In fact, according to city sources, lawsuits were filed by activists in both cities to demand districts.Most California cities with council districts, in fact, also have citywide mayor elections, according to Johnson. Glendora, like most San Gabriel Valley cities, has each council member serve as mayor as part of a rotation.
If Glendora does eventually change to a district plan it won’t be the smallest city in the San Gabriel Valley with districts.
The city of Bradbury, with less than 1,000 people, has had them since its incorporation in 1957, said Johnson.
“In Bradbury, there was a neighborhood in the southwest of the city that wouldn’t join unless it got its own district,” Johnson said.
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