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San Clemente headed toward an elected mayor in planning for by-district elections

October 11, 2023

As the San Clemente City Council continues efforts to draw up voting districts for the upcoming 2024 elections, one thing that seems certain is voters will directly elect the town’s mayor in the future.

“This way, every two years, voters will vote either for their council person or for the mayor,” Councilmember Rick Loeffler said about the decision to start having an elected mayor. “Having an at-large mayor, you have a say on two people on the council.”

In the present plan, the mayor would serve no more than three two-year terms and would be elected for the first time in 2026. Each councilmember would serve a maximum of eight years or two terms.

Currently the mayor role rotates among the five councilmembers, who chose from among themselves who will wield the gavel each year.

The decision to have a directly elected mayor was made as the council decides how to carve the city into voting districts, with each of four geographic area voting for their council representative. The city’s at-large system that has been used for decades was challenged this year for being “racially polarizing” and in response the council has been looking at the change to by-district elections.

District elections are becoming more common in California, with cities, school districts, and special districts up and down the state making the transition following arguments the at-large election system dilutes the voting power of minority groups. In at-large elections, registered voters in the city vote for all council seats on a ballot and the top vote-getters win the election. In by-district elections, a voter may only vote for a representative from their geographic area when that district is up for election.

The San Clemente City Council is studying three potential maps for dividing the city into four districts.

The San Clemente City Council is looking at options for how to divide the city into four voting districts. Map 109 is currently among three versions that are getting the most focus as they reach a decision. (Courtesy of City of San Clemente)

The San Clemente City Council is looking at options for how to divide the city into four voting districts. Map 111 is currently among three versions that are getting the most focus as they reach a decision. (Courtesy of City of San Clemente)

The San Clemente City Council is looking at options for how to divide the city into four voting districts. Map 112 is currently among three versions that are getting the most focus as they reach a decision. (Courtesy of City of San Clemente)

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“The council was able to focus on three maps that we think would work,” Loeffler said, adding they have been put before a focus group with the plan of bringing them back to the council for its Oct. 17 meeting. “The idea is to put like neighborhood with like neighborhood.”

The map with the most support so far shows the Talega and Rancho San Clemente communities as one district and Forster Ranch and Marble Head as another. The other two districts would be along the coast and divided by Avenida Victoria. One district would go to North Beach and the other would go south toward Cypress Shores. From there, it would cross the 5 Freeway and go around the golf course toward the Broadmore area.

Overall, the district discussion has not drawn a lot of public comments during the meetings, Councilmember Steve Knoblock said. “I believe we’ll be able to tack it down at the next meeting.”

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Orange County Register

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San Clemente headed toward an elected mayor in planning for by-district elections

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