League of Women Voters hosts Tuesday virtual discussion about the high cost of elections

MENDOCINO CO., 3/13/25 — Have you ever voted for or against increasing property taxes to support your local fire department? Have you voted to elect school board members? If so, then you’ve voted in a special district election. An online discussion on Tuesday will explore all things special districts – from what special district’s roles are to how the district’s impact elections. 

What is a special district? In most parts of the county, special districts are the backbone of local government — and sometimes the only government. Water, sewage, parks and recreation, public safety agencies such as fire and police, schools and more are often managed by five-member boards known as special district boards. 

Community services districts can offer a medley of important services for unincorporated areas, including solid waste, parks, and public safety. Those five-member boards often manage large budgets brought in through property taxes and make decisions with long-lasting impacts.

In most cases, board directors are elected in staggered elections every two years (directors serve four-year terms). Increasingly, the costs of holding an election has burdened these districts financially and discouraged democratic governance.

On Tuesday at 6 p.m. the League of Women Voters Mendocino County will host a Zoom session to explore what drives the costs of special district elections and how election costs affect the ability of special districts, such as fire, water and cemetery, to field slates of candidates. 

For many of these small districts, the cost of an election is prohibitive. Instead, districts may only field candidates for the number of open seats, so no election is needed. If a director steps down, an appointment is made rather than holding an election. And in many cases, district boards don’t have enough candidates to fill the vacant seats, which may give a few people power over an entire district.

Mendocino County clerk-recorder Katrina Bartolomie, will join the League’s meeting to explain how election costs are determined, and how those costs are apportioned to various districts, candidates, and measures. 

Spoiler alert: The county doesn’t receive funds from the state to conduct district elections, and the county election budget only covers countywide elections and the supervisor races. The elections department is required by law to cover other costs by charging the cities, candidates, or the special districts for costs associated with the election. 

The meeting opens at 5:30 p.m. for social time followed by the program starting at 6 p.m. As always, the League welcomes everyone to participate in the presentation and discussion. Find the Zoom link here.