The Los Altos Hills City Council is poised today to cancel the upcoming election, with just two candidates running for as many seats.
Incumbents John Radford and Gary Waldeck were the only ones to be nominated during the July 14-Aug. 8 nomination period, according to a report from City Clerk Deborah Padovan.
A resolution before the five-member council would appoint Radford and Waldeck to the council for full four-year terms. Alternatively, the council could proceed with the Nov. 4 election.
An election with two candidates for two seats would cost Los Altos Hills approximately $24,100, according to the report. To date, the city has spent slightly more than $5,000 to publish notices about the lack of candidates and the council’s options for addressing the situation.
Jurisdictions that do not hold elections due to insufficient nominees are required to pay the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters $1,094, but the city would realize a savings of nearly $18,000, according to the report.
The council must make a decision quickly. The deadline to pull the plug is Thursday at 5 p.m.
At least two residents, Richard and Denise Williams, said they were “uncomfortable” with canceling the election.
“To take the public elections out of the electoral process is very troubling,” they wrote in an Aug. 15 email to Padovan and the City Council. “The public should have a voice in who represents them … and we should know their platforms.”
The Williams also raised the possibility that write-in candidates could emerge in the coming weeks. No write-in candidates can be considered if the council appoints Radford and Waldeck, according to the report.
“We are very concerned when the public is locked out of deciding who represents them,” the Williams wrote.
The Los Altos Hills City Council is scheduled to meet today at 9 a.m. in the Council Chambers, 26379 Fremont Road.
Email Jason Green at jgreen@dailynewsgroup.com; follow him at twitter.com/jgreendailynews.
