Quick Take
Watsonville residents pass Measures V and W after Tuesday's final vote count, with Measure V receiving 7,539 votes (58.09%) and Measure W receiving 7,705 votes (58.8%) in support. Each needed a majority vote to pass.
Tuesday, Dec. 3, 5:03 p.m. — Watsonville residents pass Measures V and W after Tuesday’s final vote count, with Measure V receiving 7,539 votes (58.09%) and Measure W receiving 7,705 votes (58.8%) in support. Each needed a majority vote to pass.
The Santa Cruz County Elections Office said Tuesday’s update was the last as the office certified the results at the same time of the last update. All totaled countywide,136,505 votes have been counted.
Measure V would change eligibility requirements to allow residents to serve on city boards and commissions regardless of immigration status. Measure W would increase pay for the mayor and provide employment benefits to city council members, and clarify outdated gendered language, in addition to other changes.
The change created by Measure V would open the opportunity for legal non-U.S. citizen residents to apply for commission positions.
Proponents of the measure, such as Maria Cadenas, executive director of local nonprofit Ventures, have said they believe it will move Watsonville forward and strengthen civic engagement in the city. They say proof of residency can be confirmed in other ways, including a driver’s license or utility bill.
The passing of Measure V would align Watsonville with the state of California, the city and county of Santa Cruz, which have already adopted this practice.
The basic process of selecting residents to commissions will remain the same, said District 4 Councilmember Kristal Salcido, who supports the measure. Each councilmember still has the power to appoint one person from their respective districts to serve on one of four committees: planning, personnel, library and parks.
Measure W, the other charter change, has no formal opposition. The measure would make changes to the city charter’s outdated language. It’s been 10 years since the city document was revised.
Changes to the charter include swapping out gendered language, changing rules around monthly city council meetings and updating requirements for city manager and attorney. If passed, the city manager will be required to “regularly meet with and communicate with a council member” upon request to discuss agenda items. The measure also proposes to reduce the minimum job qualifications for future city managers.
Other changes include giving the mayor a 25% pay increase over other city councilmembers and allowing the city to pay members of the planning commission. In addition, city council members would receive employee benefits, such as health care. If it passes, city council will vote on the specific pay and benefits.
The changes will “improve our governance structure, enhance accountability and promote civic engagement,” members of the city council wrote in their support of the measure.
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