City, Latino Federation Move Closer to Settling Minority Election Suit

The city of San Diego and the Chicano Federation edged closer to a settlement of the federation’s lawsuit over minority voting rights but failed to reach an agreement by late Tuesday evening, after a day of intensive negotiations.

The council, which held three closed-door sessions to discuss the matter, ended the day by authorizing a “last and final offer” that will be discussed today in a settlement conference before U.S. Magistrate Harry McCue.

“We have sent our offer over to the other side and the judge,” Mayor Maureen O’Connor said after the final closed-door discussion.

Talks to Continue With Judge Present

Patricia Meyer, attorney for the Chicano Federation, confirmed that the two sides had moved closer to a settlement, but she said they will continue negotiating with McCue present, probably this morning.

The two sides are scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. District Judge John S. Rhoades to report on their progress. Rhoades has threatened to postpone next Tuesday’s City Council elections or invalidate them later because of issues raised by the lawsuit.

At issue is the federation’s demand that the number of City Council seats be increased to at least 10 from the current eight to enhance minority clout. The method and timing of the redrawing of district boundaries, whether new 1990 census data would be used in the redistricting and the date of elections in the new districts are also being discussed.

Last month, the council offered to put the issue of increasing the number of districts to a vote on the June, 1990, ballot. However, the federation wants elections in the new districts, if approved by voters, held in 1991, two years before the council wants them held.

Legal Fees Are Also a Sticking Point

The two sides also are negotiating over the how much the city will pay the federation in attorneys’ fees.

The federation originally sued in January, 1988, alleging that the city’s two-tiered election system--district primaries followed by citywide runoffs between the top two vote-getters--unconstitutionally diluted the effect of Latino votes.

The at-large runoffs were eliminated when San Diego voters approved a system of district-only elections in November. But last month, Rhoades allowed the federation to broaden its lawsuit to include the other issues.