35,175 / 72.3% Yes votes ...... 13,496 / 27.7% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

Financial Implications

There will be no costs in 2006. Since the election for auditor will occur at a different time than the mayoral election, there is some chance that the number of runoff elections could be increased, resulting in increased election costs. However, since the vote threshold for triggering runoffs has been lowered recently, it is unclear how likely runoffs are in the future, especially if instant runoff voting is implemented, and thus financial implications are uncertain and there could be none. The mayoral election will be advanced in 2008.

s/MANUELA ALBUQUERQUE, Berkeley City Attorney

More people voting:
Every year voter registration campaigns spend thousands of dollars and hours to register many new voters. This one time simple change will increase the number of people who vote for Mayor by more voters than even the most phenomenally successful voter registration effort. Voter participation in other contested Berkeley races is already dramatically higher in Presidential election years.

Impact on Current Mayor:
The Mayor will serve out his current four year term. If he runs for re-election in 2006 it would be a two year term. Future Mayoral elections would all be four year terms elected at the same time as the U.S. President. Current Mayor Tom Bates supports this change.

Common Sense:
Opponents argue it would be too confusing to Berkeley voters to vote for the Mayor and President at the same time. However Berkeley already votes for Congress, State Assembly, School Board, Rent Board, and regional agencies at the same time as President. We have confidence in Berkeley voters that they are intelligent and capable of one more office on the presidential election ballot.

No Cost:
Because Instant Run-off voting was authorized by 72% of Berkeley voters, future Mayoral elections will bear no additional cost of conducting a run-off election.

Good Government
Let's join the many other cities who have increased voter participation by this simple but important improvement in our election process. Please join Mayor Bates, Vice Mayor Maudelle Shirek, Councilmembers Margaret Breland, Miriam Hawley, Linda Maio, Dona Spring, and Kriss Worthington in voting YES on Measure I.

s/DARRYL MOORE, Peralta College Board of Trustees
s/NANCY CARLETON, Co-Chair, Halcyon Neighborhood Association, Former Chair, Zoning Adjustments Board
s/ELIZABETH HALL, External Affairs Vice President, ASUC
s/MAX ANDERSON, Chair, Rent Stabilization Board
s/JENNIFER GREENWOOD, typical Berkeley resident

(No arguments against Measure I were submitted)

The People of the City of Berkeley do hereby amend the Charter of the City of Berkeley as follows:

Section 1. Article V section 14 shall be amended to read as follows:

Section 14. Mayor's term of office.
The Mayor shall hold office for a term of four years from and after the first day of December after his or her election is certified by the City Clerk and until a successor is elected and qualified. However, the term of the mayor elected in the April, 1979 November 2006 general municipal election shall expire on the first day of December, 1982 2008 after a successor is elected in the November, 1982 2008 general municipal election. Thereafter, mayoral elections shall coincide with presidential elections.