The 2016 Malibu municipal election was noteworthy in many respects; however, perhaps the most remarkable, and least noted, is the historical first time Malibu municipal elections were held in conjunction with even-year November elections. The net result was indeed very remarkable. This November, 53.33 percent of Malibuites participated in municipal elections, as opposed to 33.6 percent who participated in the last unconsolidated municipal election held in April 2014. Had the election been held in April, as elections had been historically held since Malibu’s cityhood, it is difficult to know whether the results of the election would have been different. It is undisputed that as a result of the consolidation, 20 percent more voters participated in this election, a 60 percent increase in participation over the April 2014 election.
How did this consolidation occur? In 2013, Malibu Community Alliance (MCA) recognized that there was low voter turnout for April elections, which in turn impacted the makeup of the council. As a result, MCA began the groundwork for consolidation by consulting with the League of Women Voters, Common Cause, Lisa Pope, Malibu’s former city clerk, The Malibu Times and the Los Angeles County Clerk’s Office. After undertaking these initial tasks, MCA found a credible and highly articulate leader in Skylar Peak who led the effort for consolidation, ensuring that the issue was put on the council’s agenda, and was a consolidation advocate.
After approval by the LA County Board of Supervisors, with the help of Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, and following a series of public meetings at which time Common Cause and members of the public, including Kevin Shenkman, a resident of Malibu and election expert, attended and voiced support for the consolidation, the Malibu City Council unanimously approved its passage.
MCA is heartened that the incremental steps that it took, along with the leadership of Peak, will have an enduring impact on Malibu’s political landscape. In this instance at least, the system proved amenable to positive reform. The task at hand now is to improve participation levels in local politics on a day to day basis.
Cynthia Kesselman