DATE: August 22, 2023
TO: Board of Supervisors
SUBMITTED BY: Supervisor Steve Brandau, District 2
SUBJECT: Adopt Resolution approving Amendment to Fresno County Charter Section 15
RECOMMENDED ACTION(S):
TITLE
Adopt Resolution approving Amendment to Fresno County Charter Section 15 to provide for election of Sheriff and District Attorney in gubernatorial, non-presidential election years and provide direction to County Clerk/Registrar of Voters to place on the March 5, 2024 Primary Election ballot.
REPORT
ALTERNATIVE ACTION(S):
The Board may choose not to approve the Resolution, in which case the Charter Amendment revising Section 15 of the Fresno County Charter would not be placed on the ballot for approval by the voters. If the Charter is not amended, the Sheriff and the District Attorney would not stand for election in 2026 as previously determined by law, but would have their terms extended under Assembly Bill 759 passed by the Legislature, to 2028.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Placing the proposed Charter Amendment would result in costs for the County's proportionate share of the costs of the primary election. That amount would depend on the number of other elections or initiative items on the ballot at the same time. If the proposed Charter Amendment is approved by the voters, there may be some long-term savings to the County resulting from maintaining all the county-wide elective offices in a single four year election cycle rather than having to hold a county-wide election every two years with some officers elected at one time (Assessor, Clerk/Registrar of Voters, and Auditor Controller Treasurer Tax Collector) and some at another (Sheriff and District Attorney).
DISCUSSION:
Assembly Bill 759, effective January 1, 2023, moved the election of the Sheriffs and District Attorneys to presidential election years in all counties except charter counties that had preexisting charter provisions that provided for a different election schedule. This would result in the...
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