IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS BY THE CORNING CITY ATTORNEY
State law requires general law cities like Corning to have city clerks and city treasurers.
The City Treasurer is responsible for the deposit and handling of city funds, making city payments and preparation of reports regarding city expenditures and fund balances. The City Clerk publishes notices, takes oaths, maintains City Council minutes and other records of the City, and is the City’s elections official.
Pursuant to state law, there are two qualifications for the positions of elected City Treasurer and City Clerk: (i) the individual is required to be a resident of the city, and (ii) the individual must be at least 18 years old. Persons elected to the posts of City Treasurer or City Clerk, however, do not need to possess any professional skills or experience otherwise necessary to competently and responsibly discharge the duties of these offices. State law does not permit cities to add qualifications to these elected positions.
California law allows the City Treasurer and the City Clerk posts to be elected or appointed. If the posts are elected, the City Treasurer and the City Clerk serve for a term of four years. Presently, the Corning City Treasurer and City Clerk positions are elected posts. Most cities in California, however, have voted to transform the posts into appointive positions: (1) to ensure that the persons discharging the duties of the offices have the professional skills and experience necessary to competently and responsibly discharge the duties of the positions; (2) to ensure that those serving in the positions are providing the level of service as required of city employees, generally; and, (3) to save money by eliminating elections costs related to those positions.
MEASURE O. The Corning City Council placed Measure O on the ballot to allow voters to decide whether to make the City Treasurer and the City Clerk appointed positions. If a majority of voters approve Measure O, the City Council will appoint a person to the office at the expiration of the City Treasurer’s and City Clerk’s terms.
A “yes” vote allows the Corning City Council to appoint the City Treasurer and the City Clerk.
A “no” vote maintains the City Treasurer and City Clerk as elected positions.
Collin M. Bogener
Corning City Attorney
The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure O. If you desire a copy of the resolution placing Measure O on the ballot, please call Rubi Ordaz at (530) 824-7029 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.