Lack Of Challengers Leads Paramount To Cancel Election
PARAMOUNT (CBS) — For the first time in at least two decades, Paramount is canceling its city council elections.
Three open council seats were expected to be on the March ballot. But the Dec. 10 deadline came and went with no challengers registered to run against the incumbents.
"I'm not sure this has ever happened in Paramount," City Manager Linda Benedetti-Leal told the Long Beach Press-Telegram. She has been with the city more than 25 years. "We looked back and we couldn't find a precedent for this."
Only incumbent council member Mayor Tom Hansen, Vice Mayor Daryl Hofmeyer and council member Diane J. Martinez filed papers by the deadline. So council members voted to cancel the March elections.
"We passed a resolution to appoint the nominees to the position, so we won't be having an election," Benedetti-Leal said. Each council member will serve the normal four-year term as if they were elected to office, she said.
The canceled election will save $70,000 for the city.
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