The City of Palm Springs will change its election process.
The municipal elections will go from at-large to district elections and divide the city into five districts with one council member representing each, however these changes may place current council members in a race against each other.
The Palm Springs City Clerk, Anthony Mejia, said this change comes as the city attempts to be more inclusive of minorities in elected positions.
“Moving into district base election is a positive thing for civil rights and creating inclusion and equality within the city of Palm Springs,” Mejia said. “The goal of districting is to ensure that minorities have the ability to elect candidates of their choice, and so historically the city of Palm Springs has not has Latino or African American candidates.”
Each council member will be selected by the community they represent.
But electing one council member to represent each district means current council members who live in the same district may have to run against each other.
Mejia said, “There’s possibility that we will have some head to head contest if the council members decide to run for re-election.”
The current Palm Springs City Council will decide on one of five district map renderings, and according to public record, all five maps in consideration show Council Man Geoff Kors and Mayor Robert Moon living in the same district.
That district structure would pit Moon and Kors against each other for the same district seat if they want to remain elected.
As for the elected position as mayor, that will change, too.
Mejia said, “The elected mayor’s position will no longer be and in the future from among the city council.”
A decision 4-1 by the Palm Springs City Council with Mayor Moon opposing.
