The election code requires that an independent analysis of ballot initiatives be commissioned to better inform voters and the Board of Supervisors on the impact of the measure. There are law firms that do these kinds of analyses, and it is the duty of the county to select a competent and unbiased firm and provide sufficient time to complete the task. Instead, the County chose a firm that promotes its service to developers in Napa and had agency in keeping the initiative off the ballot in the previous year. The directions to the firm were biased or the Board of Supervisors is inclined to accept a biased, non-compliant with the Election Code section 9111 requirement, and inflammatory report as 'objective'.
It's not
Sierra Club has endorsed a ballot initiative to improve protections for Napa County’s watershed and oak woodlands. Voters will face the initiative in June, and, if passed, it will be a historic, precedent-setting measure that will set a limit on how many acres of oak woodlands can be permanently removed.
On Friday, April 6th, the Napa County Superior Court ordered that five objectively false and misleading statements from Measure C opponents’ official ballot arguments be removed from the ballot pamphlet and replaced.
Per state law, the court can only approve changes to ballot arguments that have been shown to be objectively false and misleading.
"The Napa County Board of Supervisors approved the move on Tuesday afternoon, naming the initiative Measure C.
Angwin’s Duane Cronk was one of the founders of the Land Trust of Napa County when it was formed in the living room of Si and June Foote in 1976.
Beginning my self-education on the subject, I went back to the “Napa County Voluntary Oak Woodland Management Plan” to see what it says on the importance of oak woodlands in watersheds. The Napa County Board of Supervisors adopted that plan in October 2010.
County Registrar of Voters John Tuteur said on Thursday that a proposed “Watershed and Oak Woodland Protection Initiative” has enough petition signatures to qualify for the June 5 ballot...
The Napa County Board of Supervisors will take the next step on Jan. 30. The Board can place the initiative on the ballot, adopt it or order county staff to analyze its possible impacts.
A proposed ballot measure to further protect Napa County oak woodlands and watersheds returned in 2017 amid maneuverings that split the wine industry.
It never crossed their minds that people would be against protecting water quality and oak woodlands and building on the county’s tradition of leadership qualities, Stults said. Napa Valley Vintners would like the other wine industry groups to back the proposed measure, he said.
“We would love to have them on board,” Stults said. “We would love to have them co-signing the ballot argument. There’s room for everybody.”
Paid for by Yes on C, Watershed & Oak Woodland Protection Committee. Committee major funding from Andy Beckstoffer.
Copyright © 2018 Yes on C, Watershed & Oak Woodland Protection Committee
