Measure J

Revised San Bernardino County Charter

Click here to create an account and save your votes.

ALL SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY—Would adopt a revised County Charter which: establishes a three-term limit on members of the Board of Supervisors; eliminates the Governor’s role in making appointments to vacancies on the Board of Supervisors; enables vacancies in the office of Sheriff, District Attorney, and other county-wide offices to be filled by appointment or special election; modernizes the document’s text to remove sexist and archaic terminology; creates greater public transparency for elected official compensation, lobbyists, political campaign financing, and County Health Officer orders; and other government reforms (see In Depth tab for more detail). Measure J requires a simple majority (50% + 1) to pass.

Fiscal Impact: No fiscal impact for Measure J has been submitted.

Next San Bernardino County Measure: Measure K

See Endorsements for Measure J

Details

Pro/Con
Pro: 

Proponents of Measure J argue that it is time to modernize the County Charter to: remove sexist language; close political loopholes; put a stop to future Governors meddling in local matters; increase transparency and accountability of local government; and limit Supervisors to serving for three terms only.

A YES vote on this measure means: The existing County Charter would be replaced with the revised Charter.

YesOnMeasureJ.org (Campaign Website)

Con: 

Opponents of Measure J argue that the measure will: leave term limits essentially unchanged; let supervisors increase their current salary; remove the stipulation in the current charter that requires a vote by the people to change supervisor salary and benefits, allowing them to set their own compensation; and make an end run around state law and legal precedent to restrict the people’s right to vote through an initiative or referendum. They also argue that Measure J is the response to Measure K, another measure on the San Bernardino County ballot this election, which seeks to set supervisor term limits and reduce their compensation.

A NO vote on this measure means: The existing County Charter would not be replaced with the revised Charter.

In Depth
In-Depth:

Measure J adopts a revised County Charter, which:

  • Establishes a three-term limit on members of the Board of Supervisors;
  • Eliminates the Governor’s role in making appointments to vacancies on the Board of Supervisors;
  • Enables vacancies in the office of Sheriff, District Attorney, and other County-wide offices to be filled by appointment or special election;
  • Makes Supervisor salary 80 percent of the salary of Superior Court Judges;
  • Requires County Health Officer orders addressed to the public-at-large to be reviewed by Board of Supervisors publicly within 30 days of issuance;
  • Requires the Board of Supervisors to establish a redistricting commission to ensure participation of the public and stakeholders in the process;
  • Modernizes the document’s text to remove sexist and archaic terminology;
  • Creates greater public transparency for elected official compensation, lobbyists, political campaign financing, and County Health Officer orders;
  • Establishes other good government processes.

Measure J was placed on the ballot by a vote of the Board of Supervisors.

Source: Summary of Measure J and County Counsel's Impartial Analysis of Measure J

Voter Resources

Official Resources

San Bernardino County Elections Office

Official San Bernardino County Voter Guide for November 3, 2020

Share |