Nov. 3 candidates and El Centro city charter vote set

August 15, 2009 @ 9:24 pm

By Luis Flores | ivnews.INFO

Imperial County’s elections division has released the final list of candidates, and an El Centro initiative, for the upcoming November 3 election. There will be 10 school district races, six special district races, and three council races in the cities of Brawley, Calipatria and El Centro.

Long-time Brawley councilmembers, John R. Benson and Esteban R. Velasquez, will not seek re-election, while all incumbents from the El Centro and Calipatria city councils have filed for re-election.

Residents of El Centro will also vote on Measure G. The measure puts to a vote the recommendation made by the El Centro City Council to change “the structure of its governance from a General Law City, to one that operates under a Voter-Approved Charter.”

By becoming a charter city, the City of El Centro would loosen governing polices set by the state’s general law.  The city would also have the option of creating its own form of government, establish its own election rules and terms, and write its own criteria for city offices–provided that the city’s policies do not violate the U.S. or California Constitutions.

The greatest conflict in the proposed city charter issue is the potential for a “strong mayor” and “strong city manager” governance to undercut the state’s “prevailing wage” in labor contracts.  (Prevailing wage typically means the state’s labor unions’ average wage on a construction contract.)

A report released earlier this year by an El Centro city council task force lists the potential for public participation through a city charter amendment process, and the possibility of “increased standards for ethics, conflicts, campaign financing, and incompatibility of office” as benefits of becoming a charter city. On the other hand, the same report lists the potential for corruption and political stalemates as possible consequences of allocating a substantially large amount of power to local officials.

On election day, Tuesday, November 3, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

City Council Elections

City of Brawley (Two seats open)

Sammy A. Couchman

Toni C. Carrillo

Miguel C. Miranda

City of Calipatria (Three seats open)

Kay A. Ours (Incumbent)

Trevor C. Green

Peter Fuentes (Incumbent)

Patricia Nelson

Fred R. Beltran (Incumbent)

City of El Centro (Two seats open)

Jason Jackson

Cheryl Viegas-Walker (Incumbent)

Ben Solomon (Incumbent)

Special District Elections

Bombay Beach Community Services District (Vote for three)

Gloria B. Town

Christine A. Harris (Incumbent)

Catherine May Adams (Appointed incumbent)

Shirley J. Ryan

Steven Johnson (Incumbent)

Heber Public Utility District (Vote for three)

Diahna Garcia-Ruiz (Incumbent)

Martin A. Nolasco, Jr. (Incumbent)

Sergio Escobedo

Patsy Becerra (Appointed Incumbent)

Humberto Montiel

Niland Fire District (Vote for Three)

Loretta I. Gentry

John W. Almueti

Hollis W. Daker

Diana Juarez

Salton Sea Community Services District (Vote for three)

Fran Aldridge

Kathy Mendoza Williams

Richard J. Lankford

Darryel F. Neal (Incumbent)

Dale R. Johnson

James F. Barrett (Incumbent)

Seeley County Water District (Vote for three)

Donald H. Turner

Ross David Hansen (Incumbent)

Ed Cooney (Incumbent)

George L. Dern (Incumbent)

Kimberly Lineses

Keith E. Baird

School Districts

Brawley Elementary School District- (Vote for two)

Ruben Castro

Armando Padilla

Scott A. Dailey

Michael Romero

Gloria Gonzales Santillan

Brawley Union High School District (Vote for two)

Hidali Garcia

Ralph Fernandez (Incumbent)

Helen M. Noriega (Incumbent)

Calipatria Unified School District (Vote for three)

Marcia A. Carter (Incumbent)

Jeff Zendejas

Carlos B. Estrada

Edgar R. Self (Incumbent)

County Board of Education Area 4 (Vote for one)

Sharon E. Anderholt (Appointed Incumbent)

Mary B. Slaughter

Heber Elementary School District (Vote for three)

Margarito Huerta, Jr.

Diahna Garcia-Ruiz (Incumbent)

Martin A. Nolasco, Jr. (Incumbent)

Humberto Montiel

Holtville Unified Schools District (Vote for one)

Laura Farris Goodsell

Rochelle Rolfe (Appointed incumbent)

Imperial Unified School District (Vote for three)

Patricia A. Thompson (Incumbent)

Jill Tucker

Ernestina Anchondo

Eddie A. Sanchez

Harley R. Smith (Incumbent)

Abdul “Mr. Mo” Mohamed (Appointed incumbent)

Michael R> Minnix

McCabe Union Elementary School District (Vote for one)

Judy Tagg (Incumbent)

Veronica Wright

Susan Deppe

Mark Larson (Incumbent)

San Pasqual Valley Unified School District (Vote for two)

Dennis L. Aguerro

Vernon S. Smith (Appointed incumbent)

Monica Montague (Incumbent)

Westmorland Union Elementary School District (Vote for two)

V.W. Bill Burns (Incumbent)

Elizabeth R. Moreno (Incumbent)

Thomas C. Marquez