BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  SB 673
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:  June 17, 2009

                       ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT
                             Anna Marie Caballero, Chair
                       SB 673 (Cox) - As Amended:  May 7, 2009

           SENATE VOTE  :  38-0
           
          SUBJECT  :  Public utility districts.

           SUMMARY  :  Allows the board of directors of a public utility  
          district (PUD) to adopt an ordinance that provides that a  
          director at large may be elected by receiving the greatest  
          number of votes districtwide.  

           EXISTING LAW  requires a PUD, when electing directors at large,  
          to conduct elections for each separate office of director at  
          large and to declare as the victor the candidate who garners the  
          most votes in each office of director at large.

           FISCAL EFFECT :  None

           COMMENTS  :   

          1)The author's office indicates that current law does not  
            provide for true at-large elections and prospective PUD board  
            members are not elected, in total, by popular vote.  Instead,  
            candidates first are required to declare which seat he or she  
            intends to fill (director at large number one, director at  
            large number two, etc.) and the highest vote total for a given  
            seat prevails.  There are no territorial boundaries for the  
            districts within a PUD, meaning a candidate can choose which  
            district to run for without regard to residency.  SB 673  
            provides a PUD with the option to hold true at-large elections  
            wherein those candidates receiving the highest number of votes  
            within the entire PUD regardless of ward, seat, or boundary  
            will fill open or contested seats.

          2)Under current law, city councils and other special districts  
            are elected through the at-large electoral method.  SB 673  
            allows a PUD to choose between the current electoral method  
            and a districtwide at-large electoral method like most other  
            local governments.

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   








                                                                  SB 673
                                                                  Page  2


           Support 
           
          Tahoe City Public Utilities District

           Opposition 
           
          None on file
           
          Analysis Prepared by  :    Jennifer R. Klein / L. GOV. / (916)  
          319-3958