Santa Barbara City Council Opts to Hold Own Election

Members of the Santa Barbara City Council recently opted to pay up to $300,000 to conduct their own election this November. Councilmembers believe they can save as much as $300,000 by hiring a private consultant instead of processing city votes through the county’s system. The city is also taking the county to court to recoup up to $200,000 in “excess billing.” At issue is whether county elections officials are legally permitted to charge the city for overhead costs associated with running an election.