Sentinel staff report–
Citrus Heights Council District 3 candidate Tim Schaefer has declared victory after receiving 62% of the vote from ballots counted so far, with contender Thomas Goetz trailing at 37%.
“I am grateful and honored to have been elected to represent District 3,” Schaefer told The Sentinel in an email Wednesday night. “I will serve with the best interest of the residents of Citrus Heights in mind.”
Councilman Bret Daniels also holds a strong lead for District 1, with 63% of the vote, while his opponent Nicole Castor held just 36%.
“I am pleased with the results so far,” Daniels told The Sentinel on Wednesday. “I want to thank those that supported me and I look forward to serving the residents and businesses of District 1 and all of Citrus Heights.”
Schaefer currently sits on the city’s Planning Commission and previously ran two unsuccessful bids for City Council in 2014 and 2016. Daniels currently sits on the council as an at-large member.
Both Daniels and Schaefer spoke positively of the city’s change to district-based elections, which split the city into five separate districts and was implemented for the first time this election. The city previously selected council members at-large, where all voters from all parts of the city could vote for all five council members, rather than only the council member from their specific district.
“Elections by district are considerably easier due to the smaller geographical area to cover and the fewer voters to reach,” said Daniels.
Schaefer also said the district-based election system “allows the candidate to develop a better sense of who their constituents are,” noting during his prior attempts at running for an at-large seat on the council “it was difficult to reach everyone.”
With only two of the five council members up for election this year, the majority of voters did not have a City Council race for their district on the ballot.
Election results could change as more votes continue to be counted. Sacramento County elections officials are expected to issue an updated vote count this Friday by 4 p.m.
Council members are typically seated in December, following official certification of election results.
