San Juan Capistrano Municipal Code Art. 3 City Council Electoral System

(a) Pursuant to California Government Code Section 34886, Members of the City Council of the City of San Juan Capistrano shall be elected by-district in five single-member districts.

(b)

(1) Beginning with the municipal election in November 8, 2016, Members of the City Council shall be elected in the electoral districts established by Sec. 2-4.302 and subsequently reapportioned as provided by State law. Elections shall take place “by-district” as that term is defined in California Government Code Section 34871, meaning one Member of the City Council shall be elected from each district, by the voters of that district alone. Each Member of the City Council shall serve a four year term until his or her successor is qualified.

(2) The Council Member elected or appointed to represent a district must reside in that district and be a registered voter in that district, and any candidate for City Council must reside in, and be a registered voter in, the district in which he or she seeks election at the time nomination papers are issued pursuant to California Government Code Section 34882 and Elections Code Section 10227.

(3) Termination of residency in a district by a Council Member shall create a vacancy for that Council district unless a substitute residence with the district is immediately declared and established within 30 days after the termination of residency. In the event that a vacancy is created as a result of termination of residency as provided herein, such vacancy shall be filled pursuant to the provisions of Section 2-1.301.

(Ord. No. 1035, § 1, 2016; Ord. No. 1096, § 2, 2022)

(a) Effective for all Council offices newly elected at the November 8, 2022, general municipal election and at each general municipal election thereafter, members of the City Council shall be elected on a “by-district” basis from the Council districts described as follows:

(1) Council District 1 shall comprise all that portion of the City enclosed within the area bounded by a line beginning at the point of intersection of the San Juan Canyon and I-5, and proceeding southeasterly along I-5 to El Horno Street, and proceeding southwesterly along El Horno Street, and proceeding northerly and westerly along nonvisible boundaries to Via San Vicente, and proceeding northerly along Via San Vicente to Via El Socorro, and proceeding westerly along Via El Socorro to Calle Santa Rosalia, and proceeding southerly along Calle Santa Rosalia to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding westerly along a nonvisible boundary to Camino Capistrano, and proceeding southeasterly along Camino Capistrano to La Zanja Street, and proceeding westerly along La Zanja Street to Avenida De La Vista, and proceeding northerly along Avenida de la Vista to Oso Road, and proceeding easterly along Oso Road to the AT and SF Railway, and proceeding north-westerly along AT and SF Railway to the Trabuco Creek, and proceeding northerly and southwesterly along San Juan Canyon to the San Juan Capistrano/Laguna Niguel city line, and proceeding northerly and south-easterly along the San Juan Capistrano/Laguna Niguel city line to the San Juan Canyon, and proceeding south-westerly along San Juan Canyon to the point of beginning.

(2) Council District 2 shall comprise all that portion of the City enclosed within the area bounded by a line beginning at the point of intersection of the San Juan Canyon and I-5, the district boundary proceeds south-easterly along I-5 to the San Juan Creek, and proceeding northeasterly along the San Juan Creek to La Novia Avenue, and proceeding southerly along La Novia Avenue to the San Juan Creek Road, and proceeding north-easterly along the San Juan Creek Road to Juliana Farms Road, and proceeding southeasterly and easterly along nonvisible lines to the San Juan Capistrano/Rancho Mission Viejo city line, and proceeding northerly and northwesterly along the San Juan Capistrano city line to the San Juan Canyon, and proceeding southwesterly along the San Juan Canyon to the point of beginning.

(3) Council District 3 shall comprise all that portion of the City enclosed within the area bounded by a line beginning at the point of intersection of the San Juan Creek and I-5, and proceeding southwesterly along I-5, and proceeding southeasterly along the nonvisible line to Valle Road, and proceeding southwesterly along Valle Road to Vista Marina, and proceeding easterly along Vista Marina to Avenida California, and proceeding easterly and southwesterly along a nonvisible boundary to Avenida Calita, and proceeding northeasterly and southeasterly along Avenida Calita to Via De Agua, and proceeding southwesterly along Via de Agua to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding northwesterly and southwesterly along the nonvisible boundary to Calle Canto, and proceeding westerly on Calle Canto to Via Cascada, and proceeding southerly along Via Cascada to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding westerly and southwesterly along the nonvisible boundary to Calle de Bonanza, and proceeding southwesterly along Calle de Bonanza to Paseo Brillo, and proceeding southwesterly and easterly along Paseo Brillo to Via De Agua, and proceeding southerly along Via de Agua to Camino Las Ramblas, and proceeding westerly along Camino Las Ramblas to Via California, and proceeding southerly along Via California to the San Juan Capistrano/San Clemente city line, and proceeding southerly along the San Juan Capistrano/San Clemente city line to the San Juan Capistrano/Dana Point city line, and northerly and westerly along the San Juan Capistrano/Dana Point city line to the San Juan Capistrano/Laguna Niguel city line, and proceeding northerly, westerly, and northerly along the San Juan Capistrano/Laguna Niguel city line to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding northerly and southerly along the nonvisible boundary to Peppertree Bend, and proceeding southwesterly along Peppertree Bend to Calle Aspero, and proceeding southeasterly along Calle Aspero to Del Obispo Street, and proceeding southwesterly along Del Obispo Street to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding along the nonvisible boundary southeast, southwest, and southeast to Alipaz Street, and proceeding northeasterly along Alipaz Street to an unnamed Local Road, and proceeding southeasterly and easterly along a nonvisible boundary to the Trabuco Creek, and proceeding south on the Trabuco Creek to the San Juan Creek, and proceeding northeasterly along the San Juan Creek to the point of beginning.

(4) Council District 4 shall comprise all that portion of the City enclosed within the area bounded by a line beginning at the point of intersection of El Horno Street and I-5, and proceeding southwesterly along El Horno Street, and proceeding northerly and westerly along nonvisible boundaries to Via San Vicente, and proceeding northerly along Via San Vicente to Via El Socorro, and proceeding westerly along Via El Socorro to Calle Santa Rosalia, and proceeding southerly along Calle Santa Rosalia, and proceeding westerly along invisible lines to Camino Capistrano, and proceeding southeasterly along Camino Capistrano to La Zanja Street, and proceeding westerly along La Zanja Street to Avenida De La Vista, and proceeding northerly along Avenida De La Vista to Oso Road, and proceeding easterly along Oso Road to the AT and SF Railway, and proceeding northwesterly along the AT and SF Railway to the Trabuco Creek, and proceeding northerly and southwesterly along San Juan Canyon to the San Juan Capistrano/Laguna Niguel city line, and proceeding southerly and easterly along the San Juan Capistrano/Laguna Niguel city line to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding northerly and southerly along the nonvisible boundary to Peppertree Bend, and proceeding southwesterly along Peppertree Bend to Calle Aspero, and proceeding southeasterly along Calle Aspero to Del Obispo Street, and proceeding southwesterly along Del Obispo Street to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding along the nonvisible boundary southeast, southwest, and southeast to Alipaz Street, and proceeding northeasterly along Alipaz Street to an unnamed Local Road, and proceeding southeasterly and easterly along a nonvisible boundary to the Trabuco Creek, and proceeding south on the Trabuco Creek to the San Juan Creek, and proceeding northeasterly along the San Juan Creek to I-5, and proceeding northerly along I-5 to the point of beginning.

(5) Council District 5 shall comprise all that portion of the City enclosed within the area bounded by a line beginning at the point of intersection of the San Juan Creek and I-5, and proceeding northeasterly along the San Juan Creek to La Novia Avenue, and proceeding southerly along La Novia Avenue to San Juan Creek Road, and proceeding northeasterly along San Juan Creek Road to Juliana Farms Road, and proceeding south-easterly and easterly along invisible lines to the San Juan Capistrano/Rancho Mission Viejo city line, and proceeding southeasterly along the San Juan Capistrano city line to the San Juan Capistrano/San Clemente city line, and proceeding southeasterly, westerly, southerly and westerly along the San Juan Capistrano/San Clemente city line to Via California, and proceeding northerly along Via California to Camino Las Ramblas, and proceeding easterly along Camino Las Ramblas to Via de Agua, and proceeding northerly along Via de Agua to Paseo Brillo, and proceeding westerly and northerly along Paseo Brillo to Calle de Bonanza, and proceeding northwesterly along Calle de Bonanza, and proceeding northeasterly and easterly along a nonvisible boundary to Via Cascada, and proceeding northerly along Via Cascada to Calle Canto, and proceeding easterly along Calle Canto to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding northeasterly and southeasterly along a nonvisible boundary to Via de Agua, and proceeding northeasterly along Via de Agua to Avenida Calita, and proceeding northwesterly and southwesterly along Avenida Calita to the end of Avenida Calita, and proceeding northeasterly and westerly along the nonvisible boundary to Vista Marina, and proceeding westerly along Vista Marina to Valle Road, and proceeding northeasterly along Valle Road to a nonvisible boundary, and proceeding northwesterly along an invisible line to I-5, and proceeding northeasterly along I-5 to the point of beginning.

(b) The Council districts specified in subsection (a) shall continue in effect until they are amended or repealed in accordance with law.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this article, and pursuant to California Elections Code Section 21626(a) and (b), each of the Council Members currently in office at the time the ordinance codified in this article takes effect shall continue in office until the expiration of the full term to which they were regularly elected or appointed. Any vacancy in or recall election for a Council term currently in effect shall be filled based on the Council districts in effect at the time the current Council term was last elected at a general municipal election or appointed in lieu of a general municipal election pursuant to California Elections Code Section 10229 or successor statute.

(Ord. No. 1035, § 1, 2016; Ord. No. 1096, § 2, 2022)

Council Members shall be elected in Council Districts 1 and 5 beginning at the general municipal election on November 8, 2016, and every four years thereafter. Council Members shall be elected from Council Districts 2, 3, and 4 beginning at the general municipal election on November 6, 2018, and every four years thereafter.

(Ord. No. 1035, § 1, 2016; Ord. No. 1096, § 2, 2022)

A map showing the districts described in the ordinance codified in this article is attached hereto as Exhibit A and incorporated herein by this reference. To the extent there is a conflict between the descriptions contained in the ordinance codified in this article and the map incorporated herein, the map shall prevail.

If necessary to facilitate the implementation of the ordinance codified in this article, the City Clerk or designee is authorized to make technical adjustments to the district boundaries that do not substantively affect the populations in the districts, the eligibility of candidates, or the residence of elected officials within any district. The City Clerk or designee shall consult with the City Manager and City Attorney concerning any technical adjustments deemed necessary and shall advise the City Council of any such adjustments required in the implementation of the districts.

(Ord. No. 1035, § 1, 2016; Ord. No. 1096, § 2, 2022)