For the first time ever this November, Santa Clarita residents in two new districts will vote for a representative who lives in their district — and residents of the other three new districts will not vote, instead waiting until their districts appear on the 2026 ballot.
The transition to district-based elections is something the city has fought for more than a decade, but the council is scheduled to formally vote during its meeting Tuesday evening to consolidate the city’s elections with L.A. County in November.
Ultimately, local officials said in June 2023 that they had no choice under state law but to create a district-based system or face millions more in legal fees for the same outcome, a fate seen in other cities including Palmdale and Santa Monica.
The district map that was adopted attempted to split up Santa Clarita by its traditional communities, with a few exceptions.
There’s a district along the Interstate 5 corridor that cuts into Saugus, a district that’s largely Valencia, another that’s largely Saugus, a Canyon Country/Sand Canyon district and a Newhall district that includes western portions of Canyon Country, an area stretching to about Stillmore Street and Soledad Canyon Road.
The council voted last year to put District Nos. 1 and 3 on the November 2024 ballot.
The way the districts are drawn means that Councilman Jason Gibbs, who will be up for reelection in November, can run again, as he lives in District No. 3, which is largely Valencia.
Mayor Cameron Smyth, who recognized this year likely would be his last on the council when the move was made, said he wasn’t planning to seek reelection. His current term expires this year.
The goal of the added area to the Newhall district, which is District No. 1, was to create a district with demographics that included a Latino majority, which was the purpose of the lawsuit that prompted the switch.
The lawsuit alleged that the lack of district-based elections had historically left Latino voters disenfranchised and unable to elect a candidate of their choice. The city disagreed but its legal advice was to settle versus continue to appeal.
A suit on similar grounds in Santa Monica is now being argued on appeal in front of the California Supreme Court. A lawyer speaking on background has estimated that city’s legal fees in the case to be upward of $8 million. Palmdale moved to district-based elections after a nearly $5 million legal battle.
The candidate filing period for the two seats on the November ballot will open on July 15, and close on Aug. 9.
Gibbs has mentioned he plans to seek reelection. City Planning Commissioners Patsy Ayala and Tim Burkhart have both announced their intent to run for District 1.
If an eligible incumbent, e.g. Smyth, whose term expires in 2024, does not file by the Aug. 9 deadline, the filing period is extended until Aug. 14, when candidates, other than incumbents, may file within that district.
The election cost estimate, provided by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, expects the two-seat election to cost $257,810.
The remaining three district seats will be up for election in November 2026.