Bell Gardens, CA
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November 5, 2024 Bell Gardens General and Special Municipal Election
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the General and Special Municipal Elections will be held in the City of Bell Gardens on November 5, 2024 for the following Officers:
Two (2) Members of the City Council (Full term of four years); and
One (1) Member of the City Council (Partial term of two years)
Nomination Period
Notice of Extension of Nomination Period for the November 5, 2024, General and Special Municipal Elections
The nomination period for candidates, other than incumbent candidates, in the November 5, 2024 General and Special Municipal Elections have been extended to Wednesday, August 14, 2024 by 5:00 p.m. This extension applies to the following office:
City of Bell Gardens City Council To Serve
Full term of four years (2 Seats) or
Partial term of two years (1 Seat)
Pursuant to Sections 10225 and 10604 of the California Elections Code of the State of California, if nomination papers for an incumbent are not filed by or on the 88th day before the election the voters shall have until the 83rd day before the election during normal business hours to nominate candidates other than incumbent for that incumbent’s elective office. Because one incumbent for City Council have not filed nomination papers on or before August 8, 2024, the nomination periods for those offices are extended to the 83rd day before the election or, August 14, 2024 by 5:00 p.m.
During the nomination period, we will update this page with a list of candidates who pull papers to run for office.
After nomination papers have been received and verified, we will post the updated list of names of those candidates who qualified for the November 5, 2024, Election.
2024 Candidate Filing List in Ballot Order
Election Information
Prohibition of Electioneering and Corruption of the Voting Process
Resolution No. 2024-42 (Candidate Statement Regulations)
Resolution No. 2024-41 (Election Consolidation for Special Municipal Election)
Resolution No. 2024-40 (Election Consolidation for General Municipal Election)
Resolution No. 2024-39 (Call Special Municipal Election)
Resolution No. 2024-38 ( Call General Municipal Election)
Important Election Dates
July 15 - August 8, 2024, 5:00 p.m. - Nomination Period
August 12 - August 14, 2024, 5:00 p.m. - Nomination Extension Period (If incumbent does not file)
August 8, 2024, 5:00 p.m. - Last Day for Candidate Withdrawal
August 9 - August 19, 2024 - Public Examination Period
August 15, 2024 - Random Alphabet Drawing
October 7, 2024 - Mailing of Vote-by-Mail Ballots
October 21, 2024 - Last Day to Register to Vote
October 26, 2024 - Vote Centers Open (In-Person voting begins)
November 5, 2024 - Election Day 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
December 5, 2024 - Registrar-Recorder/ County Clerk will provide Certification of Election Results
December 9, 2024 - Council Member Swearing-In and Reorganization
Important Links
Public Portal for Fair Political Practice’s Commission (FPPC) Disclosure Filings
Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
Bell Gardens Municipal Code (BGMC)
Fair Political Practices Commission
November 5, 2024 Election FAQ
Q: When is the next local election?
A: The next scheduled election in the City of Bell Gardens is the November 5, 2024 General Municipal Election.
Q: What local offices are up for election at the November 5, 2024 election?
A: Two (2) Members of the City Council (Full term of four years); and one (1) Member of the City Council (Partial term of two years).
Q: How can I run for office during the November 5, 2024 election?
A: Becoming a candidate for local office requires many steps, which are prescribed by local and state law and follow a specified timeline and sequence. Individuals who are interested in learning more about running for local office are encouraged to review the Candidate Toolkit provided by the Fair Political Practices Commission and should also review information on the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website. More information about the administration can also be found in the Bell Gardens Municipal Code.
Individuals who are interested in running for City Council must be residents and registered in the City of Bell Gardens prior to the time nomination papers are issued (Election Code 201). The nomination period to run for City Council for the November 5, 2024 election will be July 15, 2024 – August 8, 2024, by 5:00 p.m. Nomination papers may be obtained by City Clerk's office located at 7100 Garfield Ave. Bell Gardens, CA 90201 from 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Contact the City Clerk’s office at (562) 806-7705 to verify your voter registration status. Nomination papers must be completed and returned to the City Clerk within the nomination period.
Potential candidates may choose to begin their campaign prior to the start of the official nomination period. For more information on preliminary campaigning steps and requirements, please visit the FPPC’s Getting Started page or reach out to the City Clerk’s Office at cityclerkdesk@bellgardens.org.
Q: Can I run for more than one seat?
A: No, candidates shall not file nomination papers for more than one municipal office or term of office for the same municipality in the same election.
Q: Will the positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem also be up for election in 2024?
A: No, City Council candidates who run for election in November 2024 will not be running for Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem, as those are not elected positions. Pursuant to BGMC 2.04.020, the Mayor and Mayor are each selected by the City Council at either: (1) the first regular meeting in December in odd-numbered years; (2) at the time designated by applicable provisions of the Government Code for even-numbered years; or (3) at such other time as a majority of the council shall so order. The current Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem’s terms will expire annually in December, and at that time, the next Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem will be selected by the City Council.
Q: Does the City of Bell Gardens have local campaign finance limits?
A: Yes, the City of Bell Gardens aligns with the FPPC contribution limits. You can view the contribution limits on the FPPC’s website at https://www.fppc.ca.gov/learn/campaign-rules/state-contribution-limits.html.
Q: When will more information about the November 5, 2024 election be available?
A: Election information is added to this page as more election-related tasks get underway, typically beginning in June/July of the election year.
Public Official Expectations
Becoming an applicant for public office means that information about you will become a matter of public record immediately. This includes any and all documents submitted to the City during the course of the application period. As such, these documents must, by law, be available to the public for inspection and/or copying. In addition, California Government Code Section 87200 notes that members of the City Council are subject to the State's financial disclosure laws, Fair Political Practices Commission regulations and will be required to disclose their economic interests upon appointment to this office. For more information, visit https://www.fppc.ca.gov/the-law/fppc-regulations.html.
Role of the City Council
The City Council is the governing body of the City of Bell Gardens. As the legislative branch of our local government, the City Council makes final decisions on all major City matters and sets City-wide priorities and policies.
The City of Bell Gardens is a municipal corporation following the Council-Manager form of government. The City Council appoints the City Manager, as well as the members of the City's advisory boards, commissions, and committees. The City Council defines the policy direction of the City and directs the City Manager to implement these priorities and policies.
The City Council adopts ordinances and resolutions necessary for efficient governmental operations and approves the budget. The City Council is responsible for the scope, direction, and financing of City services; establishing policy based on information provided by staff, advisory boards and commissions, and the public; and implementing policy through staff under the Council-Manager form of government.
City Council Composition
The City Council consists of five (5) City Councilmembers. Each Councilmember represents the City at-large, on a four-year term and may serve no more than twelve (12) years, or three four-year terms. Any person who, either by appointment or election, serves a partial term of office as a member of the city council for any portion of a term, shall be deemed to have served a full four-year term.
Meeting Dates and Times
Meetings of the City Council are regularly held on the second and fourth Monday of each month, and special meetings may be called as needed. The City Council also has multiple committees on which Councilmembers serve and the applicant selected must be available to actively participate as a Council liaison to numerous external regional committees as assigned (list available here), in addition to their attendance at regular City Council meetings.
Please see the City of Bell Garden’s Calendar page to view the current schedule of events and meetings. To view agendas, minutes, archived meetings and watch live-streamed meetings in progress, please visit https://www.bellgardens.org/i-want-to/view-agendas.
Compensation and Benefits
Members of the City Council receive a stipend of $589.64 per month and eligible benefits.
Voter Registration
You may check your voter registration status by visiting the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk website at https://www.lavote.gov/home/voting-elections/voter-registration/register-to-vote/register.
You may register to vote by visiting the California Secretary of State website at https://registertovote.ca.gov/.
Contact and Questions
For specific Municipal Election questions, please contact (562) 806-7705 or by email at dgomez@bellgardens.org. For all other questions, please contact the City Clerk's office at (562) 806-7704 or by email at cityclerkdesk@bellgardens.org.