Measure A - Kern County
Shall Measure A, establishing Kern County as a California Charter County, be adopted?."Yes" Votes Needed to Pass: 50% +1 (majority) of the total votes cast on the measure by eligible votersProposed Charter Resolution: https://www.kernvote.com/home/showpublisheddocument/23240/639071829651970000Impartial Analysis by County Counsel:On January 27, 2026, the Board of Supervisors voted to place Measure A on the June 2, 2026 general municipal election ballot. By placing Measure A on the ballot, the County complies with California Government Code section 23711, which requires a majority of the voters to approve a proposed charter. If this Measure is approved by a majority of Kern County voters, this Measure would establish a charter within the County of Kern. The proposed Charter provides that a vacancy on the Kern County Board of Supervisors may be filled by Board of Supervisors appointment or special election if ordered by the Board, rather than appointment by the Governor under current law. Appointees must be qualified voters in the supervisorial district where vacancy exists, and the appointee shall hold office until the election and qualification of a successor. If the Board declines to fill a vacancy by appointment, the Board shall call a special election. The election of a Supervisor to fill the vacancy for the remaining unexpired term shall be held at the next general election, unless the term expires on the first Monday after January 1 following the election. The Board may, whether or not it has appointed a successor to fill the vacancy, call a special election before the next general election to fill the vacancy. A “yes” vote on Measure A is a vote in favor of the charter. A “no” vote on Measure A is a vote against the charter. If Measure A is not approved, the charter will not be ratified, and Kern County will remain a general law county. The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure A. If you desire a copy of the proposed charter, please call the County’s elections official at (661) 868-3590 or (800) 452-8683 and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you.Argument in Favor of Measure A:VOTE YES ON MEASURE A — KEEP KERN COUNTY DECISIONS IN KERN COUNTY When a seat on the Kern County Board of Supervisors becomes vacant, the choice of who fills it should belong to the people of Kern County, not a Sacramento politician. Vote YES on this measure to protect local control. Under current law, when a supervisor’s seat becomes vacant, the Governor of California can appoint a replacement — someone who may have never lived in Kern County, who doesn’t understand our communities, our economy, or our values. That system removes accountability and undermines local priorities. This measure changes that. By adopting a county charter, Kern County residents take back control, guaranteeing that vacancies are filled locally, either by the Board of Supervisors you elected or by a special election where voters decide directly. Either way, the decision stays here, where it belongs. This is about accountability. Appointed supervisors should answer to Kern County residents, not to the Governor’s office. Our communities — from Bakersfield to Tehachapi, from the Valley floor to the mountains and the desert of East Kern — deserve representation that reflects local priorities, not state political calculations. This is about democracy. When voters elect a Board of Supervisors, they deserve a process that keeps power close to home. A charter gives Kern County the legal framework to govern itself on this critical question of representation. Local decisions deserve local solutions. A YES vote costs taxpayers nothing. It simply ensures that when a seat becomes vacant, the people — or their locally elected representatives — decide who fills it. Vote YES on Measure A. Keep Kern County in Kern County hands. Learn more at YesKernCountyCharter.com s/Laura Barnes, Associated Builders and Contractors, Central California; s/Dave Dmohowski, Kern County Home Builders Association; s/Janelle Capa, Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce; s/Clint Olivier, Central Valley Business Federation; s/Kern Law Enforcement Association, President NO ARGUMENT AGAINST THIS MEASURE WAS SUBMITTED
