SAN BERNARDINO >> The direction of a city that for years has fluctuated between disparate approaches to public safety, homelessness, taxes and other issues will once again be in voters’ hands on Tuesday.
Up to three of the city’s seven City Council members could be replaced in the elections — in a city where the decision to outsource the city’s Fire Department and institute a $143 parcel tax passed on a 4-3 vote in August — and the man who’s been treasurer since 1991 faces only his second contested election since then.
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Citywide, registered voters can cast a ballot for city attorney and city clerk — although Gary Saenz and Gigi Hanna, respectively are running unopposed for another four years in those posts — and in the treasurer’s race where incumbent David Kennedy faces challenger Karmel Roe.
The 3rd Ward, representing the southern portion of the city, will see only Councilman John Valdivia, running unopposed, on the City Council portion of the ballot.
In the northwestern 5th Ward, incumbent Henry Nickel faces off against Brian Davison.
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Rikke Van Johnson’s retirement after holding the 6th Ward seat since 2003 means Anthony Jones, Rafael Rawls, Bessine Richard and Roxanne Williams are competing to represent the Westside on the City Council.
And in the 7th Ward, incumbent Jim Mulvihill, elected in the 2013 recall election, is trying to continue representing the north end against challenges from Scott Beard, Damon L. Alexander, Leticia Garcia and Kimberly Robel.
It’s the sixth November in seven years that residents have been asked to decide municipal issues — every year except 2012, when there was a presidential election — and, because of a city charter mandate, it’s held on an odd-numbered year when state, congressional and presidential races won’t be on the ballot.
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In the last election, to decide two proposed changes to the charter, 19,000 of the city’s roughly 77,000 registered voters cast a ballot.