HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-02-2026 SM_Item 1_Cruz, ElisaFrom:Elisa A. Cruz
To:PublicComments
Subject:Public comments for 2/2/26 meeting
Date:Monday, February 2, 2026 10:05:18 AM
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Council Members,
San Bernardino voters put you in those seats. And tonight, you are being asked to vote against
those same voters. When the current Charter was written, it was clear it would fail unless it
preserved an at-large elected mayor. The public demanded it. The charter was changed and
passed by a super-majority. That is not ancient history; it is recent, documented voter intent.
Now, just a few years later, you are trying to undo that decision through a rushed, low-turnout
June election.
That is not reform — that is betrayal!
You are not correcting a mistake, but taking away a right that voters knowingly and repeatedly
chose: the right to elect their own mayor.
If this change were fair, you would put it on the November ballot. If it were honest, you would
have sent it to the Charter Review Committee. And if it were just, you would ask the people
directly rather than try to outmaneuver them.
Do not confuse political convenience with public service. Your duty is to the voters, not to
yourselves.
If you truly believed the people of San Bernardino supported eliminating the at-large mayor,
you would place this measure on the November 2026 ballot, when the most voters participate.
Instead, you are rushing it to a June municipal election, where turnout is predictably low. The
Legislature previously warned against this exact tactic to stop councils from gaming election
timing to force through unpopular charter changes. You were elected to represent the people,
not to exploit voter fatigue and low turnout.
A right this fundamental—the right to elect the city's mayor—should not be decided by the
fewest voters possible. That is an injustice to the very people you serve!
This vote transfers power from the voters to the council. Today, the Mayor answers to the
entire city. Under this amendment, the Mayor would answer to four or five council members.
That is not progress. That is a consolidation of power.
If you want to be Mayor, then run for Mayor. Don't change the rules because the voters might
say no.
From: Elisa Cruz
Resident of San Bernardino