Board members urge rejection of SB 249, say change would weaken local control
Summary
Trustees testified and discussed opposition to Senate Bill 249, which would change timing of county board elections; board members said the measure would shift local decision-making and impose costs and confusion.
Several Orange County trustees urged the state legislature to reject Senate Bill 249 during the July 9 meeting, saying the measure would move county board elections to the general election and reduce local control. Trustee Tim Shaw told the board he has testified against similar proposals in prior years and said SB 249 "will obviously have higher costs and more blatantly strip away, local control." Shaw argued that holding the county board contest in the primary elevates the office and avoids being buried on longer November ballots, and warned of "ballot fatigue." Trustee Mary Barkey likewise told the board she opposed moving the county board election to November and questioned why the issue was being reconsidered after a gubernatorial veto last year. Barkey said shifting elections would create confusion for voters in cities that already have multiple local school‑board contests on the November ballot. Board staff reported SB 249 had cleared a committee and would next be heard by the Assembly Education Committee. Trustees said the board will continue to submit testimony opposing the measure and that staff and the board’s lobbyist will pursue meetings in Sacramento. The board did not take a formal vote on SB 249 at the July 9 meeting; members described the remarks as part of ongoing legislative advocacy.
