Three ballot measures on widely different subjects — collective bargaining, drug treatment and the release of public information — all passed by wide margins in Stockton, according to reports from the San Joaquin County Registrar of Voters office.
Of the two that were city measures, the one with likely the biggest impact — Measure N — will require Stockton and its unions to pursue binding arbitration if they reach an impasse during contract negotiations. The ballot initiative, also known as the Keep Stockton Safe measure, was leading by more than 70% early Wednesday.
The other city proposition, Measure M, keeps the status quo in place when it come to city information officers. It was passing by more than 60%.
A San Joaquin County proposition, Measure R, will cut welfare benefits to people who refuse drug treatment across the county. Voters were largely in favor of the proposal, with more than 70% voting for it.
All of the ballots cast in San Joaquin County have not yet been counted, and results are unofficial until certified by the registrar’s office.
Measure N
Billed as the Keep Stockton Safe measure, Measure N would compel the city and its unions to move to binding arbitration if contract talks reach an impasse. The dispute would be settled by a three-member Board of Arbitrators, which would make the final ruling. The panel would be composed of a member picked by the city, one by the union and one deemed “neutral.”
The City Council opposed Measure N out of fear that the arbitrators, perhaps unaware of the city’s available resources or priorities, might act in a way that overstretches available finances. Memories linger regarding the city’s 2012 bankruptcy filing when revenues fell short of spending.
The problem with Measure R is “there’s no accountability mechanism, and so you’re basically handing your fiduciary responsibility and the fiscal health of the city over to a stranger,” City Manager Harry Black said in an interview earlier this year.
Proponents said the ballot proposition is worded in a way that requires arbitrators to take the city’s financial position into account. Their hope is the measure will help the city retain police and other public safety workers.
Measure M
Of the three ballot items, Measure M was the most straightforward: Both the mayor and city government each have representatives authorized to disseminate public information.
The measure would keep that arrangement in place, and no opponents came forward to fight the propsosal.
Measure R
Measure R would require people receiving public benefits who are suspected of substance abuse to undergo mandatory drug screening and treatment. If they refuse, they could be denied those benefits.
Measure R would affect about 400 people a month who get general assistance payments when they don’t qualify for other programs. They receive $75 in cash, $27 on their EBT card and if approved for housing assistance, up to $340 in rental support every month.
Those recipients suspected of narcotics use would have to submit to a mandatory drug test. The measure would only apply to single, childless recipients of public aid under age 65 and would exclude alcohol or cannabis use since both are legal for recreational use in the state.
Stocktonia contributor Marijke Rowland, a senior health equity reporter for the Central Valley Journalism Collaborative, and former Stocktonia writer Miriam Waldvogel contributed to this report.