San Clemente Voters to Decide if City Clerk, Treasurer Should Be Appointed

San Clemente City Hall in San Clemente, Calif., on Oct. 20, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

San Clemente voters will decide in the Nov. 8 election whether to change the city treasurer and city clerk positions from being elected to appointed.

If approved, the measures will take effect 10 days after the election results are certified.

Measure U

The measure would change the role of the city clerk seat from an elected position to one that is appointed.

Arguments in favor say with the city’s rapid growth, the increasing complexity of the position requires a person of skill and experience, which should be chosen by the city council.

According to the measure, over 70 percent of California cities have an appointed city clerk.

Under state law, cities are required to have a city clerk, who must be a resident of the city and a registered voter at least 18 years of age.

Responsibilities include overseeing and coordinating maintenance of the city’s official records, preparing reports, and researching and analyzing new procedures.

Measure V

The measure would also change the city treasurer seat from being elected to appointed.

Arguments in favor say the responsibilities of strengthening the city’s economic status and protecting its investments require experience and professional knowledge that an elected treasurer may not have.

Similar to the role of the city clerk, the state requires cities to have the position of a treasurer who is a resident of the city and is a registered voter.

Responsibilities include overseeing the city’s budgets, developing investment strategies, and securing funds to pay city employees.