May to November Election Change Issue

League of Women Voters^®
of Falls Church

May to November Election Change Issue

Moving the Falls Church Municipal Elections

NOVEMBER 8, 2011 REFERENDUM QUESTION: MAY OR NOVEMBER LOCAL ELECTIONS?. MAY OR NOVEMBER LOCAL ELECTIONS? A PRO/CON FACT SHEET. 2001 LWVFC ELECTION CHANGE REPORT. COMMENTS TO COUNCIL ON THE CHANGE OF LOCAL ELECTION DATE FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER. REGISTRAR'S MEMO TO COUNCIL. A LETTER FROM THE LEAGUE TO THE FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL REGARDING MOVING THE MAY ELECTION TO NOVEMBER.

NOVEMBER 8, 2011 REFERENDUM QUESTION: MAY OR NOVEMBER LOCAL ELECTIONS?

On June 24, 2011, the Circuit Court of Arlington County approved the following question for the November 8, 2011 ballot:
Should the City of Falls Church amend Section 3.01 of its Charter to hold elections of members of City Council in the month of November rather than the month of May by deleting the current Section 3.01 in its entirety and replacing it with the following language:
Sec. 3.01 Election of councilmembers
In the regular municipal election to be held on the first Tuesday in November, 2013, and every four (4) years thereafter, four (4) councilmembers shall be elected for terms of four (4) years each, such terms of office to begin on the first day of January, 2014, and end on the last day of December, 2017; succeeding terms shall begin on the first day of January following the year of election and end on the last day of December, four (4) years thereafter. In the regular municipal election to be held on the first Tuesday in November, 2015, and every four (4) years thereafter, three (3) councilmembers shall be elected for terms of four (4) years each, such terms of office to begin on the first day of January, 2016, and end on the last day of December, 2019; succeeding terms shall begin on the first day of January following the year of election and end on the last day of December four (4) years thereafter. Councilmembers serving on council who were elected in May, 2010, and those members elected in May, 2012, shall have their term of office shortened by six months but shall continue in office until their successors have been elected at the November general election and have been qualified to serve.
Yes _____ No _____

MAY OR NOVEMBER LOCAL ELECTIONS? A PRO/CON FACT SHEET

To help prepare voters for the referendum in the November 8, 2011 election, the League of Women Voters of Falls Church has produced a fact sheet that outlines the pros and cons of holding local elections in May and November.

2001 LWVFC ELECTION CHANGE REPORT

May or November? A Voter Service Report - January 2001

COMMENTS TO COUNCIL ON THE CHANGE OF LOCAL ELECTION DATE FROM MAY TO NOVEMBER

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF FALLS CHURCH Statement to City Council November 23, 2009 Re: Change of Local Election Date from May to November
Mayor Gardner and Members of City Council:
Good evening. I am Ellen Salsbury, 502 West Broad Street, and I am speaking to you tonight as president of the League of Women Voters of Falls Church.
The League as a non-partisan political organization encourages informed and active participation in government and works to increase understanding of issues before the public.
As an organization, we are known for deliberative process. A good example of this is the informational study done by the League in 2001 on the issue of moving local elections from May to November. This report can be accessed on our web page at http://www.lwvfallschurch.org. This report was carefully and thoughtfully researched and the questions and concerns asked in 2001 are relevant today. Certain details, such as financial information, have changed. The LWV sees this as an issue that needs to be explored in the League way, carefully and thoughtfully, in a time frame that allows for information gathering and discussion.
This issue and the process has sparked controversy in the community. That reason, alone, is enough to ask the Council to slow down and delay the decision.
If this decision can be visited at a later date, without the pressure of politics and the holidays, the League will do its best to help the process along. We will work with the City to gather information from sources such as those localities which have made the change and those who haven't and find out why they made those decisions. We would be willing to co-sponsor public meetings with the city to be sure that all are given the opportunity to learn why the change is being considered.
Citizen involvement is the hallmark of how we do things in Falls Church. Citizens need to be provided with unbiased and non-political information and the League prides itself on doing just that.
Finally, we are all aware of the long hours that you as a Council put in to make the decisions to govern. Last Monday's work session was a good example! We appreciate your efforts on our behalf and hope that this issue can be resolved in a process that is acceptable to all involved.
Thank you.

REGISTRAR'S MEMO TO COUNCIL

The following link provides information provided by David Bjerke, Registrar for the City of Falls Church. We appreciate his cooperation in providing information to the League's website. General Registrar's Memo to Council

A LETTER FROM THE LEAGUE TO THE FALLS CHURCH CITY COUNCIL REGARDING MOVING THE MAY ELECTION TO NOVEMBER

To the Council:
In recent weeks, there has been much discussion about a proposal to change the date of the Falls Church City elections from May to November. In 2001, the League of Women Voters of Falls Church (LWV-FC) addressed this issue in a thoughtful and thorough informational report. We appreciate the widespread interest in our report, but caution that because it was completed several years ago, some of the information is, naturally, out of date. The study can be found on our website. (Click here for the report.)
We are gratified that this report has received so much attention. As it always has, the LWV-FC has given the citizens of Falls Church a reasoned and unbiased assessment of the pros and cons of this issue. We will continue, in any way that we can, to provide information to voters on this and other issues through forums and voters guides.
At the time of the study, the League did not take a position on moving the city elections to November and is not prepared to do so at this time. However, the League believes that it would be a mistake to rush to make such a change before the end of the year, as the citizens of Falls Church will not have a chance to review and fully understand the tradeoffs involved in such a timeframe. It is important that this decision be made in an atmosphere that is non-biased and apolitical. It is the hope of the League that as this process moves forward, proponents of both sides of the issue will treat the views of their opponents with respect.
We look forward to being part of this important decision and urge the Council to take the time to help educate the citizens of Falls Church and to listen to all sides of the issue so that an informed decision can be made.
Sincerely,
Ellen Salsbury, President League of Women Voters of Falls Church

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