Here’s a Look at Some Things That Will Be on Arcata’s Ballot in November

This is a press release from the City of Arcata:

ity of ArcataArcata, CA – The City of Arcata will be holding a general municipal election on Tuesday, November 6.

On Tuesday, November 6, two seats on the Arcata City Council will be up for election, as Mayor Sofia Pereira and Vice-Mayor Brett Watson’s terms expire.

The City Council consists of five members, serving in four-year terms, that direct the course of Arcata’s local government through its power to adopt ordinances, levy taxes, award contracts and appoint certain city officers, commissions and committees.

Community members wishing to run for a seat on the Arcata City Council must be least 18 years of age and must be a registered voter, registered at and residing at an address within the city limits of Arcata.

Potential candidates must take out nomination papers, which will be available at the City Clerk’s Office at City Hall beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, July 16. Potential candidates must gather a minimum of 20 signatures of voters registered at an address within the city limits of Arcata. Nomination papers and signatures must be returned to the City Clerk no later than Friday, August 10 at 5 p.m.

In addition, Measure M, the McKinley statue initiative measure officially titled, “Initiative to prohibit the modification and/or destruction of the President William McKinley statue and its base and/or the relocation from its historic place in the center of the Plaza,” will be included on the Tuesday, November 6 ballot.

Measure M, if approved by the majority of Arcata voters, would prevent the City from relocating the McKinley statue and its base from its current location at the center of Arcata’s Plaza, which would overturn the Arcata City Council’s 4-1 vote in favor of removing the statue from the Plaza that took place on Wednesday, February 21, 2018.

The complete text of Measure M is available to the public online at cityofarcata.org/787/McKinley-Statue or in the City Clerk’s office at City Hall between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Written arguments for or against this measure may be submitted to the City Clerk no later than Friday, July 20 at 12 p.m.

Rebuttal arguments, as submitted by the authors of the opposing direct arguments, must be filed with the City Clerk by Tuesday, July 31 at 5 p.m.

For more information regarding the rules for submitting written arguments and rebuttals, please call Bridget Dory, City Clerk at 707-822-5953 or email [email protected].

The last day to register to vote in the upcoming election is Monday, October 22. For more information on how to register to vote, visit cityofarcata.org/312/Voter-Registration.

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Blue Slide
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Blue Slide
5 years ago

Keep the statue unless you support the Taliban. Until this statue craze started, the only statue destruction I can recall was the Taliban blowing up the largest statues of the Buddha in the world.
My understanding of American presidents is that McKinley was one of the better ones. You can’t judge people of the past by today’s moral standards. Should we tear down all the statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson because they owned slaves? Guess what, slavery just used to be part of how the world worked. Everybody on this earths ancestors owned slaves, even African-American peoples ancestors owned slaves. Who do you think sold the slaves to the Portuguese slave traders?
Keep the statue, unless you’re a facist Taliban who supports destroying old art.

Ben Round
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Ben Round
5 years ago
Reply to  Blue Slide

I agree that we shouldn’t judge the past based solely on todays values. You can, however be sensitive to where we have culturally evolved (for better or worse; I believe for the better).
The Plaza is the most prominent place in the city, and as such being sited there speaks to the value people place on him. Or did.
The initiative apparently allows that the statue to be moved (to be decided later, I suppose). McKinley may be better placed in a museum where his whole story can be presented. Then let the viewer decide. He qualifies to be there. He is, without question a part of our history; one that is fraught with great accomplishments and grave mistakes.

name
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name
5 years ago
Reply to  Ben Round

“The initiative apparently allows that the statue to be moved…”

No–wrong. Read.