Posts Tagged ‘campaign’
Local Land-Use Matters Split November Ballot
The San Diego Union Tribune identified 17 key local land-use matters before California voters on Tuesday. After all the votes were cast, nine resulted in positive news for the building industry, while eight weren’t so great. See the rundown below.
Merced County Measure C: Voter Confirmation of Zoning Changes - Failed
Considered a slow growth initiative and known originally as the “Save Farmland Initiative,” Measure C would amend the county’s general plan to require voter approval whenever ten or more acres would be converted from agricultural or open space to residential use.
Yes 43.84%
No 56.16%
Land Weekly 3: New Lawns, New Species, New Priorities
What were the three biggest California land development stories of the past seven days? Well, the news-heads and policy wonks here at Laer Pearce & Associates have compiled them for you here. You’ll find the Big Three here, or you can follow LPALand on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news and analysis. You can also sign up to receive the Weekly 3 via email here. This week:
Raking of Muck Slows Raking of New Lawns
Political wonks like the crew at LP&A love the craziness and drama that comes with election season. But it turns out that homebuyers just might not be so keen on it. According to Shea Homes CEO Bert Silva, political attack ads “just don’t put people in the mood to buy a new home.” Our fingers are cautiously crossed that today’s political battles will bring the beginnings of a path toward less regulation and greater economic certainty come November 3, and that should surely put those weary homebuyers – and homebuilders – in better spirits.
Recent court decision says what you can and can’t say in your advocacy
Let’s say … and I’m just hypothesizing here … that the state legislature decided to raid a water districts’ coffers in an attempt to bail itself out from ballooning deficits. Or that a group of ratepayers placed an initiative on a local ballot that would rescind a water rate increase. Could you, as a public agency, actively campaign against these moves?
Thanks to a recent court decision, Vargas v. City of Salinas, the answer is yes … but only if you define “actively campaign” correctly.
“Express Advocacy” is still out, so what’s in?
In the Salinas case, a few Salinas residents placed an initiative on the ballot, Measure O, that would have repealed the city’s utility users tax. The city launched a communications effort to let citizens know the devastating effect Measure O would have on city finances. The voters voted down the measure, and the citizens group sued, claiming the city unlawfully interfered and used public funds for political purposes. They sought $250,000 from the city.
