Santa Fe residents will vote next week on whether it should be easier to bring initiatives and referendums before voters. City officials are mixed about the idea. Some say it could increase democracy while others argue it could make it easier for special interest groups to get initiatives on the ballot.
Currently, if someone creates an initiative and they get signatures from registered voters equal to 33.3% of the number of voters who cast ballots in the last mayoral election, that initiative can go on the ballot.
A referendum works in a similar process except it would repeal or modify existing laws.
The proposal on this year’s ballot would lower that threshold to 15%.
Cities like Albuquerque and Las Cruces already have lower thresholds. But councilor Carol Romero-Wirth argued in a meeting in August that the new resolutions would undermine representative democracy.
“I believe that we are elected to really dig in and learn about the issues and listen to our constituents,” she said. “I think in this community, we will find it used to do things counter to our values.”
Councilor Michael Garcia, who proposed the changes, disagrees and said that he feels confident that the community can see who is behind any particular initiative.
“So for example, if there is a PAC that is pushing for some type of special interest that might not be in the best interest of the community, the public will be well aware of that and will ultimately have the opportunity to vote in favor or vote against a particular measure,” he said.
Councilor Jamie Cassutt said at the August meeting the lower threshold could lead to longer ballots, which she experienced in California.
“It took a good, I don't know 10 to 15 hours to like study my ballot in the state of California,” she said. “And I can tell you, most people were not doing that.”
Garcia admits that some voting measures can be confusing but he believes it’s the role of the government to provide that education.
“The democratic process means that it's the people's government,” he said. “And I'm confident that the people will always step up to make sure that their government is meeting their needs, and their representatives are representing their values and their needs.”
He says changes like this can happen with these proposed charter amendments.
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