Anaheim City Council Holds Special Meeting To Discuss City Leader Elections

ANAHEIM (CBSLA.com) — The Anaheim City Council is holding a special meeting Wednesday to discuss whether to change the way they elect city leaders.

Under a proposed measure on the ballot, the number of councilmembers would increase from four to six. They would also be voted for by residents in their home districts instead of voters citywide.

"I believe the time has come," said Mayor Tom Tait. "The questioning of districting is a question for the people of Anaheim."

The idea to switch to district voting happened after two Latino alleged gang members were shot and killed by police in July, which resulted in violent protests and outrage about the city's racial divide.

Proponents of the district vote said with a city where 50 percent of residents are Latino, there should be more representation on the council.

The president of Disneyland Resort sent a letter to the council on Tuesday supporting a district vote.

"We believe that city leadership should reflect the diversity of its entire population. We support a city council elected from districts and encourage the city of Anaheim to move from at-large elections to district voting," wrote George A. Kalogridis.

He said the shift will allow each neighborhood to be represented by a local council member of their choosing.

RELATED STORIES:

»Anaheim Residents Call For Change Through Redistricting 

»More Protests Planned In Anaheim To Denounce Recent Officer-Involved Shootings

» Anaheim Police Brace For Weekend Of Protests Amid 2 Deadly Officer-Involved Shootings

» Burglary Call Leads To Officer-Involved Shooting In Anaheim

» Community Prays For Peace In Anaheim Following Violent Protests

» 24 Arrested Following Clash Between Protestors, Anaheim Police

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)