Blackjack players know to "always double down on 11" - but what about 10?
The city's Measure H, which would boost downtown redevelopment possibilities by adding 500 residential units available for development in the area, is just 10 votes from passing.
The Morgan Hill City Council, or anyone really, could request a recount. The city, or the person requesting the recount, would have to pay if the final tally did not reverse the results. The estimated cost? $30,000, according to a Santa Clara County Registrar official estimate. City Clerk Irma Torrez said the city has already spent about that amount to put the measure on the ballot in the first place.
With a $3.3 million general fund deficit to wrangle with, councilmembers don't seem to be in a gambling mood.
"That's awfully close," Councilwoman Marby Lee said of the 10 votes. "There's a temptation there (to request a recount), but we would have to look at the cost. Having that path to accelerate things downtown would be great, but it's tough budget times. I would have to sleep on it."
Mayor Steve Tate said there simply isn't money to consider spending on a recount.
"It's certainly something the council would discuss, but in this economic environment, I can't in my own mind justify it," Tate said.
He was more concerned about nearby races that get a freebie recount, while Measure H will just flounder.
The Secretary of State enacted a set of emergency regulations for the General Election to deal with the record turnout expected. One of those rules was that races that were within 0.5 percentage points based on the Election Night tally would get an automatic recount of 10 percent instead of the typical 1 percent, care of the state. Gilroy's school board race is one of these. Measure H was not within those parameters Election Night. This methodology was met with scrutiny by people like California Association of Clerks and Elected Officials Past President Steve Weir, and Tate.
"I would like to get some answers on why, on some races, they would recount those, and not yours. I just wouldn't understand that," Tate said.
Weir said that while he understood the regulation's intent, he didn't agree with the recount as it was written.
"There are contests that qualify election night but move out of that (margin) and vice versa," he said. "It's not well-thought-out."
Weir said that more than 20 percent of votes statewide were not tallied on election night, and that percentage spikes in counties like Santa Clara that have the vote by mail option.
"In my professional opinion, in close races, the public wants to get a better look-see, but (recount mandates) should be based on the final results," he said.
If passed, Measure H would open the city's downtown core to opportunities for mixed-use developments by allowing 500 additional units that would be exempt from the costly and time-consuming annual competition. This would then add an incentive to developers to choosing Morgan Hill's 18-block downtown area, bound by Del Monte Avenue, Butterfield Boulevard, Main and Dunne avenues, for projects.
As of Monday afternoon, Measure H was losing with 6,919 no votes and 6,909 yes votes. There are about 3,000 votes in the county yet to be counted. The election will be certified Dec. 2. Recount proponents would have to speak up by Dec. 7.
Natalie Everett
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett is the education and city reporter for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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