Santa Ana : Chamber Forms Unit to Fight Ballot Proposition

The Chamber of Commerce has formed a political action committee to work against a proposition on the June ballot that would change the structure of city government.

Chamber President Michael Metzler said 11 members of the board of directors voted unanimously last week to oppose the proposition, which was put on the ballot by a coalition of citizens’ groups dissatisfied with various actions of the City Council.

Under the proposition, formulated by the Santa Ana Merged Society of Neighbors (SAMSON), the mayor would be elected by all voters and the post would be made a separate office from the council. Council members would be elected only by voters in their districts.

Metzler said the change in government, rather than making city officials more responsive as SAMSON members argue, would submit the city to “ward-machine politics.” In other words, council members would be responsive to the wishes of their own ward residents instead of the city at large.