Goleta May Change Process to Elect its Mayor

Voters in Goleta could start the process this November to change the way their city’s Mayor is chosen.

On the ballot will be two decisions.

One will ask if the Mayor should be chosen by the voters, instead of by the council from one of its elected members as is the case now.

Voters will also be asked if the term should be two or four years.

Residents we spoke with today were analyzing the upcoming decision.

One said clearly the voters need to make the choice in a separate election. “It is always better to have a little choice, ” said Jim Stanovich.

Shirley Hopper said the public in general already elected the councilmembers and the Mayor should be picked from within that group by the council itself. “I think they probably know more about who would be better than we do as a public because we don’t get much information,” she said.

If the election issue pertaining to the Mayor’s post fails in November, the current process stays the same.

If it passes, the changes take place in November 2018.

(More details and video will be posted here later today)