(L-R) Thomas S. Denison, Kristine Lowe, and Geoff Woods (Photo courtesy of Dawn Denison)
The Sierra Madre City Council voted Wednesday, Aug. 19, to cancel the city’s Nov. 3 general election for three council seats and appoint the three candidates who qualified for the ballot: first-time candidates Geoff Woods and Thomas S. Denison, and incumbent Mayor Kristine Lowe, who will retain her seat.
By Janine Tedros
Mayor Lowe presided over the special meeting, with Councilmembers Kelly Kriebs, Gene Goss and Ed Garcia present and Robert Parkhurst participating remotely.
The council was required to act before the county’s deadline for submitting the election cancellation. City Clerk Laura Aguilar said Aug. 19 was the last day the council could meet to take the action, with Thursday, Aug. 20, the final day to submit the decision to the county. The special meeting was scheduled after the council was polled to determine whether enough members were available to establish a quorum during August, typically a dark month for the council.
The nomination period opened July 13, and paperwork was due by noon Aug. 7. According to Aguilar, three nomination packets were received, from Lowe, Woods and Denison.
Staff recommended approval of a resolution canceling the election, effective Nov. 3.
Aguilar told the council that canceling the election would save the city “just over $60,000.” The city had budgeted $65,000 for the election, while its remaining expenses are expected to be less than $1,000.
The approximately $60,000 paid to Los Angeles County covers costs including postage, poll workers and ballot printing. Aguilar said the figure does not include the time spent by Sierra Madre city staff. She explained that election costs are divided among participating agencies through a cost-sharing formula, with the city’s share varying depending on how many other agencies and measures appear on the ballot.
Councilmembers questioned the process and the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.
Kriebs asked whether the city had canceled an election under similar circumstances before. Aguilar said she reviewed the previous 20 years and found no instance in which all council candidates ran unopposed with no ballot measures requiring an election. She noted that there had been an election in which a treasurer ran unopposed, but ballot measures still required voting.
Aguilar also explained the process for write-in candidates. A write-in candidate must complete the same nomination steps as other candidates, including obtaining 30 signatures from voters and filing the required paperwork. Candidates who file by the Aug. 7 deadline have their names printed on the ballot, while write-in candidates must rely on voters remembering their names. Aguilar said she recalled one write-in candidate during her 20 years with the city, and that candidate was unsuccessful.
Garcia asked Aguilar to clarify the nomination process amid confusion over whether the City Council nominates candidates. Aguilar said nominations come from voters through a petition to nominate an individual for City Council. Anyone in the community can nominate someone, she said, although all three candidates in this election self-nominated.
Parkhurst asked how the city would determine the mayor and mayor pro tem if there were no election results to establish a rotation. Aguilar said there is no formal rule dictating the rotation and that there have been instances in which a council member declined or was unable to serve, leaving the council to make the decision.
Lowe also asked whether she could vote on the resolution because she was one of the candidates affected. The city attorney advised that she did not need to recuse herself because the action would not provide her with a financial benefit.
Kriebs said the cost savings were a significant consideration.
“Bottom line, it’s fiscally responsible,” Kriebs said, while acknowledging that the first-time candidates would not have the opportunity to see their names on the ballot. She said fewer residents might know who the council candidates are, but added that she did not consider that worth $60,000 from the city’s budget. Kriebs said that amount would be enough to redo approximately 200 feet of the city’s water main.
Garcia similarly cited the size of the savings, saying $60,000 is more than the salary of an entry-level public worker and somewhat less than the annual salary of a public dispatcher. He also said campaigning gives candidates an opportunity to listen to community concerns, but noted that with only three candidates, the outcome was already determined.
Lowe reminded residents that the Sierra Madre Chamber of Commerce will hold a candidate panel on Sept. 16. She described Woods as a former teacher, vice chair of the Community Services Commission and current president of the Rotary Club. Denison is a former volunteer firefighter and captain, current Planning Commission chair and has served on the commission since 2017. He also recently completed a two-year tenure as regional commissioner of AYSO Region 2.
Goss said the city followed the required process.
“When I think of democracy, I think of the process,” Goss said. “When we don’t follow them, that’s when we have issues.” He said Aguilar had followed the process “to the letter” and expressed disappointment that more candidates had not entered the race, while supporting the $60,000 savings.
Lowe reminded the council and public that the city will hold its next election in two years.
Parkhurst was the sole dissenting vote. He said he favored holding an election even when the candidates were unopposed because an election provides an opportunity to see who would become the next mayor. He also acknowledged the city’s financial position and said he did not take the cost lightly.
Goss moved to approve the resolution canceling the election, with Garcia seconding the motion.
The resolution passed on a 3-1-1 roll-call vote. Kriebs, Goss and Garcia voted yes; Parkhurst voted no; and Lowe abstained.
Lowe then closed the special meeting, congratulating the incoming councilmembers.
Aguilar clarified that the appointments will be certified at the council’s first regular meeting in November, following the Nov. 3 election date. The council’s first meeting with the new members is scheduled as a special meeting on Dec. 15.
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