Do you think the public offices of city clerk and city treasurer
should be appointed in Morgan Hill? If the city council approves a
ballot measure asking this question at a regular meeting Wednesday,
voters will get to decide Nov. 2.
Do you think the public offices of city clerk and city treasurer should be appointed in Morgan Hill?
If the city council approves a ballot measure asking this question at a regular meeting Wednesday, voters will get to decide Nov. 2.
The two positions are currently elected by the voters. The city clerk is Irma Torrez, and the city treasurer is Mike Roorda. Both are serving four-year terms that expire in 2012.
If voters approve the measure asking for the positions to be appointed, the seats would be appointed by the city council or city manager at the end of the current terms.
All cities in California are required to have a city clerk and city treasurer. The city clerk’s duties include overseeing elections, ensuring council actions are in compliance with public information laws, organizing and overseeing public records, and providing related municipal services.
The city treasurer is responsible for the investment of the city’s $85 million portfolio, which consists mainly of unspent capital improvement dollars.
The city clerk and city treasurer have been elected in Morgan Hill since the city was chartered in 1906. However, most California cities appoint these two positions. Out of 478 incorporated towns and cities in the state, 154 have elected city clerks and 174 have elected city treasurers.
The only other city in Santa Clara County that elects both positions is Campbell, whose council recently approved a Nov. 2 ballot measure similar to that which will be considered by the Morgan Hill council Wednesday.
The ballot measure could cost the city about $50,000, but city staff say appointing the positions would save on future election costs. The city currently pays each official a $200 monthly stipend, plus a total of about $1,600 in medical insurance benefits for both officials.
