District Elections Need Chance to Work : San Diegans shouldn’t be detracted by a lot of meaningless sound and fury

By the end of 1991, every council district in the city of San Diego will have elected its own representative. Finally, local legislators will be chosen in the same manner as state and federal lawmakers.

The transition to district elections from the previous system, in which council members ultimately were elected citywide, has been bumpy. Lost along the way, according to proponents of the at-large system, was concern for citywide issues.

It’s clear that leadership on major issues has been missing from the city’s governing body for some time. But district elections are not to blame. Consider the upheaval at City Hall in the last 2 1/2 years:

- A lawsuit by the Chicano Federation sought radical changes in the electoral system, including district elections and reapportionment.

- At the same time, dissatisfied neighborhood groups achieved district elections by initiative.

- A federal court ordered redistricting. Even in the best of times this brings out the worst in politicians.

- Tight budgets meant tougher choices, and more finger-pointing.

- The mayor announced she would be leaving office, setting up a two-year lame-duck period for posturing by wanna-be mayors.

Enter inexperienced mavericks John Hartley and Linda Bernhardt, the first new council members elected by district. Just 17 months later, voters recalled Bernhardt.

All of this occurred against a backdrop of anti-incumbent fever.

Such an atypical and chaotic time would not be a fair test for any change--certainly not one so fundamental as district elections.

Yet some are quick to blame them for the council’s ineffectiveness.

Undoing district elections--in the unlikely event that the courts allowed it--would be a huge step backward.

District elections open government, make it easier for minority voices to be heard. With San Diego’s increasing diversity, it can’t afford to return to a system under which, for example, no Latino was ever elected to the City Council without first being appointed, even though 21% of San Diego’s population is Latino.

However, district elections have highlighted the need for a new balance of power among the mayor, council and city manager.

The exact nature of the restructuring calls for more debate, but the council finally seems willing to tackle it. With the upcoming elections for mayor and four council seats and a probable redistricting resolution, this is a good year for it.

But the debate should not become an invitation to question the need for district elections. After 57 years under the old system, and 20 years of attempts to change it, district elections deserve a much longer trial.