Santa Clara County Grand Jury
• 2023-2024
• Agency Response
Response to:
Continuity Report
Santa Clara County Civil Grand Jury Final Report: If You Only Read the
⚠️ Translation Notice: This content has been automatically translated. The original English text is the official version. Translation may contain errors.
⚠️ Este contenido ha sido traducido automáticamente. El texto original en inglés es la versión oficial. La traducción puede contener errores.
Findings and Recommendations 1 findings
F1
Page 1
The Civil Grand Jury finds that in the current environment, which is unregulated at the local level, it is easy for the author of a ballot measure question to write the question in a way that is confusing or misleading to voters. District Response: Partially Agree Valley Water partially agrees. A ballot measure question can be written in a way that is confusing or misleading to voters. However, Valley Water disagrees that ballot measure questions are unregulated at the local level. Ballot measure questions are regulated under the California Elections Code. The Elections Code requires either that the entire text of the measure be included in the ballot or the voter information guide to ensure that voters understand the purpose of the proposed measure.
Related Recommendations (4)
R1
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d is implemented. . . · (�· Santa Clara Valley Water District I 5750 Almaden Expressway, San Jose, CA 95118-3686 I (408) 2651¥600 I www.valleywater.org February 14, 2023 District Response: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The California Elections Code already requires local ballot measure questions to be subject to an impartial analysis by the agency's counsel and then submitted to County Counsel for review prior to submission to the Registrar of Voters. Valley Water has and will continue to comply with these Elections Code requirements for any future ballot measures initiated by the agency.
R1b
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Governing entities within Santa Clara County should voluntarily submit their ballot questions to the County Counsel for review prior to submission to the Registrar of Voters, unless and until
R1c
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Governing entities within Santa Clara County should, by March 31, 2023, adopt their own resolution or ordinance to require submission of their ballot questions to the County Counsel for review prior to submission to the Registrar of Voters, unless and until Recommendations 1 d and 1 e are implemented. District Response: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted. The California Elections Code already requires local ballot measure questions to be subject to an impartial analysis by the agency's counsel and then submitted to County Counsel for review prior to submission to the Registrar of Voters. Therefore, Valley Water does not need to adopt its own resolution or ordinance to establish a process that is already in place. Valley Water has and will continue to comply with these Elections Code requirements for any future ballot measures initiated by the agency.
R1e
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Governing entities within Santa Clara County should submit their ballot questions for review by the Good Governance in Ballots Commission pursuant to Recommendation 1d. District Response: The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted.
No Responses Found 1
Government entities assigned to respond to this report. No response documents have been linked in our database.
Santa Clara Valley Water District
Special District