LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — This November, the decision of whether or not the city of Lakeport’s proposed South Lakeport annexation will go forward will be up to less than 20 property owners in the annexation area.
In a unanimous vote, at its June 7 meeting, the council approved a resolution calling for a special municipal election to be held on the annexation Nov. 8. The election will be consolidated with the general election that day.
The city is seeking to annex 50 parcels totaling 137 acres in the area adjacent to South Main Street and Soda Bay Road and east of Highway 29.
On May 18, the Lake Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCo, approved a resolution outlining the results of the protest proceeding against the city’s proposed annexation.
Owners of 16 of the 50 parcels protested the annexation, triggering an election. Those protests accounted for 36% of the land valuation; at least a 25% protest total is required.
City Manager Kevin Ingram said that, based on the latest list from the Registrar of Voters Office, there are 17 registered voters living in the annexation area.
He said it was staff’s recommendation to place the annexation on the Nov. 8 municipal ballot, which is the most cost effective and timely option. They also asked for the council to designate Mayor Stacey Mattina to work with staff to develop the argument in favor of the measure for the voter guide.
“This is a little bit of an interesting process,” said Ingram, explaining the work needed to get the election code to work with the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Act, which governs annexations.
He said the city will need to notify LAFCo, which will have some additional tasks in the process, including conducting an impartial analysis of the ballot measure.
City Clerk Kelly Buendia recommended that any arguments in favor of or against the measure be due by July 25, with rebuttals due by Aug. 4, the same date the impartial analysis will be due back from LAFCo.
Buendia said the election is estimated to cost between $10,000 and $12,000.
The ballot question will be as follows: “Shall the order adopted on March 30, 2022 by the Local Agency Formation Commission of Lake County ordering the annexation to the City of Lakeport of the territory described in that order and designated "City of Lakeport Annexation to the City of Lakeport (LAFCo file 2019-0006) (South Lakeport Annexation)" be confirmed?”
Justin Ratcliffe, a property owner in the annexation area who has opposed being added to the city, asked how the election outcome would be determined.
City staff said it will be a matter of a majority of votes cast for or against.
Councilman Kenny Parlet said the annexation has been talked about for decades. He called the LAFCo process “a joke” and was exasperated that after years of work and $50,000 in consultants, the decision would come down to 17 voters.
“The system stinks,” he said.
Councilwoman Mireya Turner moved to approve calling the special municipal election, which the council approved 5-0.
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Lakeport City Council approves November annexation election
- Elizabeth Larson
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