Bridges
Bridges v. City of Wildomar
Opinion
Opinion
Miller, J.
In February 2008, when voters chose to incorporate the City of Wildomar (Wildomar), voters also chose to elect city council members via by-district elections. In November 2009, voters chose to replace the by-district voting system with an at-large voting system. Martha Bridges and John Burkett (Plaintiffs) sued Wildomar for modifying the by-district means of electing city council members. Plaintiffs asserted two causes of action; (1) the modification of the voting system violated Government Code sections 57378, 34884, and 34871, and (2) the modification of the voting system was preempted by the California Constitution. The trial court granted Wildomar’s motion for summary judgment and denied Plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment.
Plaintiffs contend the trial court erred because (1) the modification of the voting system violates state statutes; (2) the modification of the voting system is preempted by the California Constitution; (3) Wildomar lacks the authority to repeal enactments that predate its existence as a city; and (4) the modification is invalid because the relevant ordinance does not contain a severability clause. We affirm the judgment.