Measure Q would convert the position of Fairfield City Clerk from an elective to an appointive office.
Measure Q requires approval by a majority of voters voting on the measure to pass.
Fiscal Impact: No large fiscal impact, though the absence of a City Clerk election will save the city and unknown amount of administrative costs.
Pro:
Supporters say to vote yes on Measure Q to ensure Fairfield’s City Clerk is selected for qualifications, experience, and professional competence—NOT campaign politics. The City Clerk is the keeper of Fairfield’s public record. Every agenda, ordinance, resolution, meeting minute, public notice, election filing, campaign disclosure, and official City action depends on the Clerk’s Office being accurate, impartial, transparent, and professionally managed. This is not a policymaking position. The City Clerk does not set taxes, approve development, adopt budgets, or make laws. The Clerk administers elections, maintains public records, protects access to government information, and ensures official actions are properly noticed, recorded, preserved, and available to the public.
A YES vote on this measure means: Chapter 2 of the City Municipal Code will be amended in order to make the City Clerk position appointive, meaning no one will have to run for office for the City Clerk position.
Con:
Opponents say Measure Q would remove a direct line of accountability between the public and one of the City's most important offices - the keeper of official records, elections, and public transparency. This measure does not raise taxes, but it reduces direct voter control over a core democratic function. Once changed, restoring an elected Clerk requires a new initiative and thousands of signatures - a difficult process.
Opponents argue that an elected City Clerk serves the people, not politicians. Measure Q eliminates Fairfield's elected City Clerk and replaces it with an appointed position controlled by City Hall. This removes a key layer of public accountability. The Clerk's independence ensures that public records, election filings, and meeting documentation are handled impartially and openly. Turning this position into an appointment concentrates power within City Hall and weakens the checks and balances that protect residents from political influence.
A NO vote on this measure means: the City Clerk position will remain elected.
Background
The City Clerk is responsible for overseeing vital municipal functions. In the City of Fairfield, the City Clerk is currently elected to serve a four-year term. A majority of California cities have an appointed City Clerk who is either hired by the City Manager or appointed by the City Council. This Measure allows the City Council to delegate its appointment authority to the City Manager.
This Measure will have no impact upon the current term of the incumbent City Clerk. The incumbent City Clerk was last elected in 2024 and would be permitted to stay in office until the end of her current term in 2028. At the conclusion of her term, the incumbent City Clerk would be eligible for appointment to the same office. If the incumbent City Clerk resigns before the end of her term, a replacement would also be appointed.
Proposal
If approved, Measure Q would amend Chapter 2 of the City Municipal Code to make the City Clerk position appointive, meaning no one will have to run for office for the City Clerk position. An appointed City Clerk would not be required to be a resident or elector of the City, and will receive compensation in a fixed amount established by the City Council.
Source: Impartial Analysis of Measure Q