Join Us THIS Saturday for In-Person District Elections Workshop

GOLETA, CA, June 22, 2021 – The City of Goleta will be holding its next district elections public workshop in-person this Saturday, June 26 at 11:00 a.m. The public is invited to participate in this important and historic process as the City moves to district elections in November 2022. The workshop is being held at the Goleta Union School District Boardroom located at 401 N. Fairview Avenue; Spanish interpretation will be available. This will be the City’s first in-person workshop since the pandemic and face coverings are required.

Goleta City Clerk Deborah Lopez said, “We hope you will take time out of your Saturday to come learn about the City’s transition to District Elections in November 2022 and share ideas. This is a unique civic engagement experience, and we want our community members to be involved. We are so excited we can now see the public in person for this important effort.”

With district elections, the City will be divided into four districts, and voters in each district will elect a City Council member who lives in their own district. The mayor will continue to be elected by voters across Goleta. Public input is a critical part of this process.

The community is also encouraged to check out the City’s new district elections website, www.DrawGoleta.org. You can use the website to learn more about the process, see upcoming dates, and eventually, draw your own map with district lines. The website includes both demographic and geographic information in the StoryMap section to help you create proposed district lines.

In addition to the upcoming June 26 workshop, there is another in-person workshop scheduled for Monday, August 2 at 6:00 p.m. at Goleta City Hall Council Chambers (130 Cremona Drive, Suite B). This final workshop will also serve as the first of four official public hearings as required by state law.

The City is also looking for feedback on what communities of interest might exist within Goleta. A community of interest is a group of people with common interests who live close together and would benefit from being kept together in a single district. If you know of a community of interest, please email it to Deborah Lopez at dlopez@cityofgoleta.org.

For additional questions, contact cityclerkgroup@cityofgoleta.org or call 805-961-7505.

We look forward to seeing you in-person at one of our upcoming workshops, and we thank you in advance for participating in shaping the future of elections in Goleta.