Murrieta Valley Unified Board Votes to Move Elections

School board members whose terms were set to expire in December will get another year in office as a result of a vote to push elections to even-numbered years.

Members of the Murrieta Valley Unified School District Governing Board voted 4-1 Thursday to move the elections, most saying it would save thousands in election costs.

Ken Dickson was the only board member who went against the decision. He said it would dishonor the voters by taking away their right to elect school board members this year.

"This is a poor time to not be checking in with the people who pay our bills," Dickson said.

"While I have great respect for this board, we still have to be cognizant of who put us here. After two historic elections in this country, I sense a great hunger for people to really be involved," he said.

The decision means that a year will be added to all board member terms, should the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approve the extension. Of the five board members, Dickson, Margi Wray and Paul Diffley were up for re-election this year but would have that moved to 2012. The remaining two members, Robin Crist and Kris Thomasian, would not need to seek re-election until 2014.

The proposed change was brought before the board , when Superintendent Stan Scheer said the intention was to save money.

While estimated costs for the 2011 election were not available from the Registrar of Voters Office, according to a staff report, the cost of the 2009 election was $145,000. The district would be required to pay a $25,000 fee to have all voters notified of the change in election-year cycle, bringing the approximated savings to $120,000 this year.

"Those cost numbers are fuzzy in my view," Dickson said.

Board member Margi Wray said moving the election to even years during presidential and municipal elections would be beneficial to the voters, who often don't vote in odd years.

"If you are going to vote for the president of the United States, then the likelihood of more participation is there," Wray said.

"For me, we are not voting ourselves another year on the board. That's a consequence, but that's not the driver of this decision," she said.

Board President Paul Diffley said the district would be wise to save the money from this year's election.

"There is a great thirst of accountability with money. I like the idea that $75,000 to $95,000 will be saved. That to me is a couple of teachers' salaries," Diffley said.