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Grover Beach residents petition to elect city attorney

April 18, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

Petitions calling for electing the Grover Beach city attorney are circulating throughout the coastal community. The City Council currently appoints the city attorney.

The same group, Grover H20, was successful in gathering signatures for a petition to make the position of city clerk an elected role. In the 2025 election, Grover Beach voters will decide whether their city clerk is elected or appointed.

“When appointed by the city council they become beholden to the city council and city manager to serve their interests if they wish to keep their jobs or contract, when they should be serving the public interest,” said Grover H20 member Debbie Peterson. “An elected city attorney answers to the voters, a form of democracy that is much more direct.

“When appointed by the council, the city attorney protects the government from the people,” Peterson added. “When elected, the city attorney protects the people from the government.”

Last week, Grover H20 began collecting the 1,000 signatures required. The deadline for the petition is July 1. If successful, the question of electing the city attorney will be put on a ballot for the voters to decide.

Members of Grover H20 will be in Grover Heights Park collecting signatures on Saturday, April 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Signature gathers will also attend city events with their clipboards and petitions in hand.

 


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What are the elected City Attorney requirements:

hold a valid license to practice law?

be a resident of Grover Beach?

what is the detailed $ compensation?

what is the length of the term?

are there terms limits?

be loyal to Debbie Peterson?


These questions need to be answered and stated on the petition form before anyone signs anything.


AND BTW THERE IS NO ELECTIONS OCCURRING IN SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY OR GROVER BEACH IN 2025.


-1

Shoot, you nailed it on all points excepting where the loyalties of an elected attorney lie, and, indeed, an appointed attorney also. Read the petition. Loyalty owes to the people and the people’s interest when an attorney is directly elected


1

Maybe having the voters decide on goverment compensation and raises will be next


16

kayaknut, wouldn’t that be refreshing!


1

When you make positions elected you’re ensuring that the jobs are filled by politicians. Elected positions definitionally make the highest requirement being a good fundraiser and being able to talk eloquently on camera – being a competent attorney or clerk is incidental.


The founding fathers had the right idea about excessive democracy that I don’t think Ms. Peterson appreciates American republicanism. The job of clerk is to be a good clerk, not another politician. Where does it end? Elected dog catchers?


It’s we the people’s job to elect responsible representatives, it’s their job to hire qualified people to do the work of government. If we find the clerk or attorney lacking, make the case to our representatives who can fire them at *anytime* (unlike if they’re elected). If they don’t agree, vote for a better representative!


8

Help me understand. An elected city attorney, clerk, whatever, is a “good fundraiser and being able to talk eloquently on camera – being a competent attorney or clerk is incidental.” However, elected city council persons are “responsible representatives”. I’m not really able to see any difference.


0

The job of being an attorney/clerk is a full time job that requires executive experience, specialist knowledge and professional skills. When appointed, a City Manager can choose a qualified candidate for the job that needs to get done; if it is up to a popular vote youre going to end up getting an attorney who is really good at campaigning (making speeches, making promises, raising money, etc.), but not necessarily the most qualified attorney.


Unlike an attorney or clerk, the job of City council (on state assembly, or Congress) is to be a politician, someone who represents us and whose job is to engage in the democratic process on our behalf so we can live our lives (this is just basic republicanism). A representative can be anyone – a business owner, parent, plumber, lawyer, teacher, etc. While there is a base level of competence and responsibility needed (understanding processes, listening, reading comprehension, delegation, communication, working with other representatives) it is not nearly as specialized as the full time civil service jobs.


Leave politics for the politicians and day to day government for civil servants. I want a representative who communicates that they share my beliefs whereas I want a clerk who knows the difference between Form D3348 and Form D3371, I don’t care less if they’re privately a liberal or conservative, I care that they do the boring work. And if they are bad at it or let politics infect their nonpartisan job, I’ll ask my representative to fire them.


6

Clarifying your first sentence, the job of the city attorney & city clerk are not combined. The appointed city attorney does not work full-time for Grover Beach. The attorney and his firm represent multiple local public agencies, thus setting up automatic conflicts of interest. As to competence, a reading of the petition indicates that the qualifications for an elected city attorney exceed those of the appointed city attorney. Our Republic, with its three branches, has checks and balances at both the state and national levels. That is not so at the city level, which functions as an autocracy in which the legislative branch — the city council, which makes the laws controls the executive branch — the city manager, city attorney & police force that carry out the laws, & there is no city judicial branch — which interprets the laws. That lands the responsibility for local checks & balances square in the hands of the voters, which is where it should be. You misrepresent the way local elected representatives run for office. At the local level, there is only the non-partisan option. Nor is it true that representing the people is boring! Rather, it is an inspiration and honor.


0

I love seeing the uprising of citizen participation in the County!


0