The City of Oxnard has heard your complaint and has shown its intent to follow through with your demands to establish voting districts. There does not seem to be any significant opposition to your demand for implementing districts. However, there is significant concern that you are not giving the City and the voters of Oxnard enough time to learn about this voting districts issue, and that you’re trying to AVOID public participation by rushing this so aggressively.
Is it really your intention that the public must have a district plan in 72 days, when most haven’t even heard of your lawsuit or voting districts? By you imposing the 90 day timeline, the City has very little time to notify the public, to allow the public to take time out of their busy schedule to learn what districting even means, to learn the issues (gerrymandering, where district lines should be drawn, what this might mean for each neighborhood, etc). It only makes matters worse that this 90 day timeline comes with serious consequences to the City – comply or you will impose YOUR attorney fees on the public.
I understand that the statute you’re suing under authorizes you to rush the City and you are not required to allow the public to have substantial participation under this law. But as was mentioned last night at the City Council meeting, that is one of the defects in the law. The threat of millions of dollars in attorney fees if the City fails to comply in ninety days does not appear to be a very democratic means to what you claim to be a democratic purpose. Multiple councilmembers and the public seem to agree, and requested last night that the City and you discuss an extension of the 90 day timeline. I urge the same.
You may respond here, but the most important response should go directly to the City of Oxnard. The main purpose of this letter is to let the public know what is really going on here.
Sincerely,
Chuck Hamm