Settlement Name

Watsonville

Province, Territory, or State

California

Country

United States

Keywords

public place naming; voter approval; municipal election; city council nomination; ballot selection; public facility naming; parks buildings bridges plazas airports; democratic naming process; citywide vote; municipal naming procedure

Has Policy?

Yes

Policy

The City of Watsonville regulates the naming of public places through Chapter 7 of its municipal code. The policy requires that the naming of any public place owned by the city, whether within or outside city limits, must be approved by voters through either a general or special municipal election. Public places under this policy include parks, buildings, bridges, plazas, courtyards, and airports. When a public place is proposed to be named, each of the seven City Council members may nominate a name for consideration. The nominated names are placed on the ballot for voters to select from, with a maximum of seven different names appearing on the ballot. If multiple council members nominate the same name, it appears only once on the ballot. The name receiving the highest number of votes in the citywide election becomes the official name of the public place.

Contact Info

cityclerk@watsonville.gov

Policy Score

55.56