Fail: 7,472 / 47.77% Yes votes ...... 8,168 / 52.23% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

     NO

Sunnyvale Charter Section 603 now provides that a Councilmember's monthly salary is reduced by 20% for each meeting missed, unless the Councilmember is on official City duty, is granted an excused absence by the Council, or is on personal leave. The Charter permits Councilmembers four personal leave days per calendar year, which may be used for vacations or personal business. The Charter does not currently provide excused leave exceeding four days per calendar year for maternity/paternity or family leave, although such additional leave may be granted by the Council on an individual case-by-case basis as an excused absence.

The proposed Charter Amendment will allow the City Council to provide, by passing a resolution, that all councilmembers shall have a right to take additional days of excused leave beyond the four days currently authorized by the Charter. The additional excused leave may be paid leave or unpaid leave as determined by the Council. For example, the Council could, by resolution, provide that all Councilmembers could take a certain number of additional excused leave days for the birth or adoption of a child and could determine if such leave would be paid or unpaid.

A "Yes" vote is a vote to amend Sunnyvale Charter Section 603 to authorize the City Council to permit, by resolution, excused leave days in addition to the four personal leave days in the current Charter and to determine if these additional excused leave days shall be paid or unpaid.

A "No" vote is a vote not to amend Sunnyvale Charter Section 603.

You may access the full text of the measure on the City's website at the following website address: http://www.BallotMeasures.inSunnyvale.com.

/s/ David Kahn
    City Attorney

The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure G. If you desire a copy of the measure, please call the elections official's office: Office of the City Clerk, telephone (408) 730-7483, located at 603 All America Way, Sunnyvale, California and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.

Sunnyvale City Charter and Muncipal Code

Sunnyvale Times

As a community, we strive to elect councilmembers who will represent the interests of the residents of Sunnyvale. Those who run for office should reflect the diversity of this community, encompassing a range of ages, experiences and genders. Our community is made up of technology professionals and blue collar labor, single income families, and mothers working outside the home.

When men and women consider a run for office, they should not have to make a choice between becoming parents and public service.

In 1993, Congress recognized that it was unfair to force working parents "to choose between job security and parenting" and passed the Family and Medical Leave Act. In 2004, California recognized the potential financial hardship of unpaid leave and passed the only Paid Family Leave Law in the country. Although elected officials are the employees of the citizens who elect them, the law does not treat them as such when it comes to family leave.

Under the current city charter, councilmembers only receive four excused absences that can be used for illnesses or personal need. But for a mother recovering from birth or a father bonding with an adopted child, one month may not be long enough.

Measure G does not create an entitlement of designated family leave for councilmembers. Instead, it allows the council to be flexible, granting additional leave on a caseŽ-by-case basis and permits the council to determine if the excused leave will be paid or unpaid.

We believe this is an issue of basic fairness, and that the citizens of Sunnyvale should vote YES on Measure G.

/s/ Otto Lee
    Mayor, City of Sunnyvale
/s/ Anthony Spitaleri
    Vice Mayor
/s/ Dean Chu
    Councilmember
/s/ Melinda Hamilton
    Councilmember
/s/ John N. Howe
    Councilmember

If Measure G carries, the City Charter of the City of Sunnyvale, shall be amended by amending Section 603, of Article VI (The Council), to read as follows:

Section 603. Compensation. In addition to reimbursement for necessary traveling and other expenses actually incurred when on official duty in or out of the City on order of the City Council, each member of the City Council shall receive as salary, each month, that sum which has been established by the State Legislature for members of the city councils of general law cities having the population range within which the City of Sunnyvale falls, all as is specified in Government Code § 36515 as it now exists or may hereafter be amended to read, and the Mayor shall receive as salary, each month, a sum equal to 133-1/3% of that established herein for Councilmembers. In order to provide a cost of living adjustment, the salaries provided herein shall be increased annually, effective January 1 of each year, by the amount permitted for general law cities by Government Code § 36516(c), as it now exists or may hereafter be amended. If a member of the City Council does not attend all meetings of the City Council called on order of the City Council and held during the month, his/her salary for such month shall be reduced by the sum equivalent to 20% of the month's salary for each meeting not attended unless he/she is absent on official duty with the consent of or on order of the City Council or is granted an excused absence by the City Council, or unless he/she is on personal leave. A member of the City Council shall be permitted four (4) personal leave days per calendar year, and the City Council may permit additional days of excused leave as it may set from time to time by resolution. Any additional excused leave granted by resolution may be paid or unpaid at Council's discretion.