The Grossmont Healthcare District (GHD) has announced the start of a transition to a new system for East Region voters to elect its board members.
GHD has used an at-large election system since forming in the 1950s, in which board members have been elected by the voters of the entire district. To meet the requirements of the California Voting Rights Act of 2001, GHD will now be transitioning to district-based or “zone” elections in which elections are within an area that is a smaller part of the whole district. With district-based election systems, board members are elected only by the voters residing within that specific election district or zone.
In October, the GHD board adopted a resolution that outlined the intent to transition to zone-based elections. GHD’s transition is similar to what’s happening across California. Hundreds of local public agencies, including healthcare, water and school districts, as well as cities and other governmental jurisdictions, are transitioning to zone-based elections.
GHD will host an initial public hearing starting at 6 p.m., Monday, Dec. 3, at the GHD Conference Center at 9001 Wakarusa St. in La Mesa. At the hearing, details will be available about the transition process. A presentation will be made by representatives from a company that specializes in demographics and mapping. In addition, the public will be invited to provide input regarding the composition of the new districts. A GHD board business meeting will start at 5:30 p.m., with the public hearing to commence at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.
“We’re looking forward to hearing input from voters about this transition and the composition of the new districts,” said Michael Emerson, GHD board president. “If someone cannot attend in person, we’re accepting written input.”
Written correspondence also can be sent to Barry Jantz, GHD CEO, at bjantz@grossmonthealthcare.org.
GHD officials said additional public hearings will be held in 2019. Input will be welcomed on the content of the proposed maps. In addition, communications with non-English speaking communities will be part of the public outreach process, according to GHD. For additional information on the transition process, visit the GHD Zone-Based Elections webpage.
The Grossmont Healthcare District is a public agency that supports various health-related community programs and services in the East Region. Formed in 1952 to build and operate Grossmont Hospital, GHD now leases operations to Sharp HealthCare via a public-private partnership, and continues to own the hospital on behalf of local taxpayers. The District is governed by a five-member board of directors, each elected to four-year terms, who represent more than 500,000 people residing within the District’s 750 square miles in San Diego’s East County. For more information about GHD, visit www.grossmonthealthcare.org.