Unofficial results show Jones heading to Signal Hill City Council, Hansen re-elected

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[/infographic] Pending any changes resulting from additional vote-by-mail ballots counted Friday, Signal Hill’s mayor has been re-elected to the city council, and the city clerk has garnered the fifth open seat on that governing body, according to unofficial results of the March 5 election from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder County Clerk’s office on Thursday.
Current Mayor Tina Hansen, a deputy district attorney with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, will return to the council on which she has served for 25 years. Hansen, who is now serving in her fifth term as mayor, had attained 510 votes, or 35.2 percent, at press time.
Keir Jones, the current city clerk of Signal Hill, was trailing the mayor by only five votes, at 34.85 percent. Jones had run for city council two years ago but lost by one vote.
Christopher Wilson, who serves on the city’s Planning Commission and as a district director for 64th District State Assemblymember Mike Gipson, had earned 29.95 percent, or 434 votes, by press time.

In Tuesday’s election, residents voted on two of the city’s five council seats, with Hansen’s being up for re-election and Vice Mayor Larry Forester planning to resign after his current term. When the city council reorganizes later this month, Hansen and Jones will join Robert Copeland, Edward Wilson and Lori Woods on the dais.
Although the Signal Tribune had reached out to all three candidates for statements on the election results, only Hansen and Jones responded by press time.
Hansen said she feels honored that the residents still want her to represent them on the council, but she will not celebrate a win until the vote count is made official.

“Although I do not believe from past experience that the results will change after all ballots are counted,” she said, “I respect the process and will wait for the next tally by the County– which will be on Friday– before I declare a definitive victory.”
Jones said his campaign was about the future of Signal Hill and that he is thrilled to take that vision to the city council.
“Over the course of the last several months, we have talked with residents in every corner of this city,” he said, “and I am ready to bring their experiences and concerns to City Hall and give them a new voice.”

Replacing Jones as city clerk, Carmen Brooks, a planning commissioner who ran unopposed, got 707 votes.
David Hopper, who also ran without an opponent, garnered 698 votes for city treasurer.
The unofficial results also indicate that voters passed two competing measures– M and N– however the one with the most votes will take effect.
Measure M would amend the city charter to change the city’s general municipal election date to the statewide primary election date of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of even-numbered years– from the current date of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March of odd-numbered years– commencing on March 8, 2022, and, consequently extending one-time councilmember terms by one year.
Measure N would change the city’s election date to the statewide general election date of the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of even-numbered years, beginning on Nov. 3, 2020, and as a consequence, reduce one-time councilmember terms by four months.

Measure M received 490 “yes” votes and 347 “no” votes. Measure N got 597 “yes” and 246 “no” votes. Because N garnered more approval votes than M, it will prevail, pending final results.
Signal Hill Deputy City Clerk Kimberly Boles told the Signal Tribune that the County will be tallying additional vote-by-mail (VBM) ballots on Friday, March 8, at 1pm.
“The County will accept VBM ballots until Friday, March 8– as long as [they are] postmarked no later than March 5,” Boles said. “So, unofficial results will be updated through the end of the week.”
Results may be viewed at lavote.net/home/voting-elections/current-elections/election-results/live-results.