Agenda - 04-18-2017 - 8-a - Minutes

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18 1 Commissioner McKee asked what would happen if the same district set up remained, 2 but changed the voting from district nominate/county elect to district nominate/district elect. 3 John Roberts said such a change would go to referendum. 4 Commissioner Marcoplos said back in 1992 he ran for County Commissioner as an 5 Independent, and then the landfill debacle came up. He said so much attention was paid to 6 representation that the County formed a committee. He said a lot of effort was put into trying to 7 understand what may be done, and districts came to residents' minds. He said he was 8 introduced to cumulative voting at that time, which was 1993. 9 Commissioner Marcoplos said he always thought that cumulative voting was the more 10 simple way to vote, and he said this empowers minorities in the political system. He said in 11 cumulative voting, if there are three candidates each voter gets three votes, and can use them 12 as he/she so chooses. He said what can happen, when one represents a district, is that one 13 can become bound to what is popular in your district. He said the way commissioners are 14 elected now means that many people's vote does not count, and in Orange County, this is 15 mostly republicans. He said it is incumbent upon the BOCC to provide the fairest access to the 16 democratic process, and he believes that cumulative voting is the best way to achieve this. 17 He said this is the choice to settle legal issues over perceived unfair voting, and is the most fair. 18 Chair Dorosin said cumulative voting would require legislative approval, and asked 19 Commissioner Marcoplos if he thinks this could be pursued. 20 Commissioner Marcoplos said someone has to raise the idea so that people can 21 become educated. He said he is unsure if Commissioner McKee's idea of district 22 nominate/district elect would change anything. 23 Commissioner McKee said it would not change anything as far as the power structure as 24 it exists now, but it would change the perception that in District 2, for example, that the district 25 nominates, but the countywide election is what elects. He agreed that a republican candidate 26 cannot win a countywide election in Orange County. He said his proposed change is simple, 27 and does not require legislative involvement. 28 Commissioner Burroughs said she is interested in learning more about Commissioner 29 McKee's suggestion. She said it would clean up what currently exists, as people are familiar 30 with it. She is not confident that the legislature would support cumulative voting, but is open to 31 others' thoughts. 32 Commissioner Jacobs said he would like to read more of the cumulative voting 33 information forwarded by Commissioner Marcoplos. He disagreed that a republican cannot be 34 elected in Orange County, but said a radical republican could not. He said there are 35 republicans on the school boards and the town councils. He said Greg Wilder's point about 36 how the BOCC sits in meetings indicates the fact that they represent the whole County, not just 37 a district or at large position. He said the current system mitigates towards that, and so far the 38 BOCC personifies that. He said he would be very careful about Balkanizing Orange County in 39 a way that may pit district against district. He said there is already a subtle divide in the County, 40 and he said the district nominate/district elect would only exacerbate that. 41 Commissioner Rich asked if Commissioner Jacobs recalls which options were 42 discussed in 2006. 43 Commissioner Jacobs said all of the permutations were considered, and there was a 44 report on this. He said the legislature tried to enforce a particular system on the County at that 45 time, which the County fought. He said non-partisan commissioner elections were discussed, 46 but not cumulative voting. 47 Commissioner Marcoplos said Commissioner Jacobs made a good point about the 48 school board non-partisan elections, but the major parties are not going to release their grip on 49 the partisan elections.