Title
Public Hearing Number 1 to Receive Input from the Community on City Council Districts to be Established for District-Based Elections Beginning in 2026
Staffreport
RECOMMENDATION
The Council conducts the public hearing, and receives input from the community regarding composition of City Council districts for district-based elections with the 2026 election cycle.
SUMMARY
The City Council adopted a resolution of intent on January 6, 2025, which would end the 90-day safe harbor period in California Elections Code Section 10010 on April 7, 2025. The City Council adopted a resolution to enter into a written agreement on April 7, 2025 to extend the safe harbor period to July 5, 2025. With the adoption of Resolution No. 2025-034 the transition to district-based elections begins with two public hearings required by Elections Code Section 10010. The City anticipates completing the requisite public hearings within the 90-day period as well as preparing and presenting an Ordinance to establish district-based elections within the safe harbor period. The City will also conduct additional community outreach, including at the local Wednesday Farmer’s Market, on social media, and in publications targeting Spanish, and Chinese speaking populations. During these hearings, the City Council receives input from the community regarding the composition of the proposed districts. Subsequent public hearings involving review and discussion of district maps are also required to be held.
BACKGROUND
On November 21, 2024, the City received a letter pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10010(e)(1) from Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian & Ho on behalf of a prospective plaintiff, Robert Bulatao. Mr. Bulatao alleges the City violated the California Voting Rights Act (“CVRA”) because its current at-large election system led to racially polarized voting that diminished the electoral power of the City’s Asian electorate. The letter concluded that the City must move to district-based elections to resolve these issues. The November 21, 2024, letter triggered a 45-day period during which Mr. Bulatao was prohibited from filing a CVRA suit.
On January 6, 2025, the City Council adopted a resolution noticing the City’s intent to move to district-based elections for the 2026 elections, and which also proposed a timeline for the City to conduct public hearings that are required by the CVRA within 180 days. The adoption of the notice of intent triggered a 90-day safe harbor period, preventing Mr. Bulatao from suing the City, and capping at $30,000 any attorneys’ fees Mr. Bulatao can recover. The 90-day safe harbor was set to end on April 7, 2025. The City Council adopted Resolution No. 2025-xxx, and the City Manager entered into an agreement with Mr. Bulatao that would grant the City an additional 90-day extension to the CVRA litigation safe harbor until July 5, 2025. The extension includes a stipulation that the City adopt an ordinance to establish district-based elections within the 90-day extension, the passage of which is subject to a City Charter amendment vote in 2026.
DISCUSSION
With the approval of the written agreement to extend the CVRA safe harbor period, the City is now moving forward with a robust and transparent public process to transition to district-based elections. This process includes the legally required public hearings as well as proactive community outreach to encourage public participation and input on the future composition of City Council districts.
Public Hearing Process
According to Elections Code §10010, the City is required to conduct at least four public hearings on the transition process before holding a final hearing in which an ordinance establishing district-based elections is voted on. The first and second public hearings must be held over a period of no more than 30 days, whereby the community is invited to provide input on the composition of districts, including the number of districts to be considered. These hearings are essential to gather community input on district boundaries, including communities of interest, geographic features, and demographic considerations. Two more public hearings will be held within 45 days of each other once draft maps are released.
The City of San Leandro adopted its current district map in 2022, which was based on the most recent U.S. Census data. This existing district map will serve as the foundation for the districting process under the CVRA.
The City’s public hearing schedule is as follows:
|
Meeting Type |
Date, Time & Location |
|
Public Hearing 1 |
Monday, April 21, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. Council Chambers, 835 E 14th Street, San Leandro |
|
Public Hearing 2 |
Monday, May 5, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. Same location |
|
Public Hearing 3 |
Monday, May 19, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. Same location |
|
Public Hearing 4 |
Monday, June 2, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. Same location |
|
City Council Meeting |
Monday, June 16, 2025 - 7:00 p.m. Same location |
Community Outreach
In addition to the formal hearing process, the City is implementing a multifaceted outreach strategy to ensure meaningful engagement from residents across all neighborhoods and backgrounds. Staff will participate in outreach efforts at the Downtown Farmers Market on April 16, April 30, May 14, and May 28. At these events, information about the districting process will be distributed, questions will be answered, and community members will be encouraged to participate in the public hearings or submit input online. Staff will host one table independently and share a table with Councilmembers on the remaining three dates.
To further amplify community awareness, the City will publish informational flyers every other week in multiple local media outlets, including the San Leandro Times, Vision Hispana, and Sing Tao Daily. These publications serve diverse linguistic and cultural communities within San Leandro and the surrounding region, and their inclusion in the outreach effort reflects the City’s commitment to equitable access to information.
Together, these outreach strategies aim to ensure that the districting process is inclusive, transparent, and responsive to community needs. By taking advantage of the additional 90-day safe harbor extension, the City ensures that it has adequate time to engage the public meaningfully, develop district maps that reflect community input, and adopt an ordinance establishing district-based elections in a thoughtful and deliberate manner. The City Council’s goal is to meet both the legal requirements of the CVRA and the democratic values embedded in the City Charter, while also minimizing legal and financial risks.
Vote by District - Website
Pursuant to Elections Code §§ 10010() & 21160(e), the City publicized all CVRA-related information on its website. Information about the process and opportunities for the public to get involved, including the ability to provide feedback on the process, is available at www.sanleandro.org/votebydistrict.
PREPARED BY: Kelly B. Clancy, CMC City Clerk, City Manager’s Office