220504 1612 QuotesFrom:Frances Marquez
To:Susan Goulding
Subject:Quotes
Date:Wednesday, May 4, 2022 4:12:06 PM
The residents of Cypress deserve a transparent and ethical process to decide whether to
transition to district voting. I asked my colleagues on the dais for a public vote to transition to
districts and allow members of the public that include both Democrats and Republicans to
draw the district lines. I am concerned and disheartened that the residents of Cypress were
denied the opportunity to voice their opinions and be heard by the representatives that they
elected into office.
A public hearing would have allowed the residents to voice their opinions and would have
allowed council members to benefit from their input. The City Council of La Palma received
the same letter from Mr. Shenkman and immediately opened up the process and discussion to
the residents. I am disappointed that we did not take the opportunity to engage our residents in
this very important discussion for the future of our city. Some of my colleagues have said that
the information sessions were enough but that's not the same as giving people an opportunity
to voice their opinions. An information session is not the same as giving voters the right or
opportunity to express their views for or against district voting. The fact that less than 200
people attended the sessions and that most of them favored the status quo does not represent
the will of the voters. It is simply too small of a sample size.