WHITTIER — The Whittier City Council unanimously supported moving forward with plans to align city elections with November statewide general elections Monday night, while debating competing proposals on term limits, district expansion, and future election reforms. Councilmembers remained divided on several key issues, including whether term limits should be restricted to two terms or 12 years, whether Whittier should eventually expand from four districts to five, and whether

WHITTIER — Proposed changes to Whittier’s public comment procedures sparked debate Monday night as the City Council considered reducing the standard speaking time from three minutes to two minutes, removing speaker card requirements, and updating meeting policies to comply with state accessibility laws. The proposal would mark a significant shift from longstanding city practice. Historically, Whittier has generally allowed residents three minutes to speak during public comme

Whittier’s move to district elections was not, by itself, a mistake. I supported district elections when the issue was first debated because I believed then, as I believe now, that neighborhood-based representation can make City Hall more accountable to residents. A citywide at-large system can make it harder for distinct neighborhoods to have their voices heard. District elections, when drawn fairly, can give residents a councilmember closer to their own community concerns.

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