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Health & Fitness

Sign the Petitions!

David H. Perez, Neighbor

Circulators are now beginning to collect signatures from registered voters who live within Watsonville City limits on petitions to put three initiatives on the ballot for the June 3, 2014 General Election.   

One initiative proposes amending the Watsonville City Charter to have the Mayor appointed in a sequential fashion in order to allow all Council Districts to have an opportunity for their respective Council Member to serve as Mayor. This proposed initiative is all about order, fairness and equity.  

Another initiative proposes amending the Watsonville City Charter to change how Council vacancies are filled. The current system has in effect greatly decreased the number of elected representatives serving on the City Council. To restore a true democratic process, this initiative proposes that City Council vacancies be filled solely by the people, through an election by the registered voters in the District where the vacancy has occurred. This initiative is based on the premise that selecting a Council Member should at all times belong to the people. 

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The last initiative proposes amending the Watsonville Municipal Code to require that the naming of public places be done solely with voter approval by the registered voters in the City of Watsonville. Over the years, several public agencies have been embroiled in costly and highly emotional contests in respect to naming or renaming public places. This initiative seeks to eliminate these divisive government spectacles by seeking community approval for the naming or renaming of public places. 

So, you as the registered voters of the city of Watsonville may be asking why you should sign these petitions to get these initiatives on the June 2014 ballot. First, by signing them you are making a statement that the voters in Watsonville have a right to be heard. Let me also point out that the June 3, 2014 election is a General Election - not a Special Election – and adds no extra cost to taxpayers as there was during the special election for Measure T. But most importantly, all three of these initiatives seek an outcome of good, fair government.  

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At the July 2, 2013 City Council meeting, proponents of these initiatives, along with other concerned citizens, stood up and expressed that the registered voters of Watsonville have a right to have a voice and a deciding vote as to how decisions are made by elected officials on the City Council. In a subsequent article in the Register- Pajaronian, Mayor Lowell Hurst was quoted as saying that there are “more important issues “plaguing our community such as poverty, unemployment and economic development;  in essence he trivialized the issues underlying the proposed initiatives. It is indeed the job of the City Council to come up with solutions to the problems defined by Hurst, however, the City Council can accomplish very little without community buy-in and community support. Cronyism and divisive government do not foster community support. The aforementioned initiatives seek to build a foundation of fairness and civic participation so that we as a community can take on the serious problems our community is facing. If anybody can come up with a convincing argument against good and fair government, I am listening. In any event, I am asking the registered voters within the city limits of Watsonville to sign the petitions to get these initiatives on the ballot.
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