Grand Jury Critical of Sonoma Election Decision

By CLARK MASON

Published: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 1:17 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 3:45 p.m.

The Sonoma City Council was criticized Tuesday by the Sonoma County grand jury for creating a conflict of interest when it canceled the Nov. 4 municipal election.

While not illegal, the grand jury said the council’s decision was “cavalier” and only contributes to growing fear and concern in America today regarding the “efficacy and validity of the political process.”

The City Council in August voted 3-2 to cancel the election after only two people met the deadline to run for two open seats on the council.

One of those running was incumbent Mayor Joanne Sanders, who cast the deciding vote, despite the council being informed at least one person had communicated the intent to run as a write-in candidate.

Although write-in candidates are rarely victorious, they have a traditional opportunity to participate in elections and the rules allowed for them to file to run until Oct. 21.

“The point is not whether a write-in candidate would have been successful in the election. The point is that a decision to eliminate such an important right should not have been made by the vote of a person who directly benefits from it,” the grand jury said in its report released Tuesday.

Sanders said Tuesday she was pleased that the grand jury investigation found that she and the council “were fully compliant” with the law.

But she questioned the timing of the release of the report, on the eve of her swearing-in tomorrow, when she could potentially be re-named to the one-year post of mayor.

And Sanders said she never was interviewed by the grand jury.

“There really wasn’t any opportunity for me to put my perspective in,” she said.

In August, just before the council voted to cancel the municipal election, they heard from a number of speakers, some of whom said the election should proceed, and others who urged a cancellation to save the estimated $7,000 to $8,000 election cost.

“I knew nothing about the write-in process prior to the issue,” Sanders said. In retrospect, she said she might have voted differently and allowed the election to go forward.

“In the end, I had to make my decision and I take my lumps,” she said.

http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20081202/NEWS/812020280/1350?Title=Grand_jury_critical_of_Sonoma_election_decision