Editing Vernon, California (section)

=== Transparency and progress ===
In an effort to modernize the city and stave off the potential threat of disincorporation in the future, for the first time in the city's history Vernon opened its doors to new residents from the general public. In 2015, Vernon's population nearly doubled with the opening of Vernon Village Park Apartments on E. 52nd Drive and King Avenue, the majority of which were made available to the public and not exclusively to those affiliated with Vernon industry and city government, as had been the case for most of the city's history.{{citation needed|date=August 2021}} In effect, this means that the democratic process in Vernon can no longer be a carefully managed internal affair used to keep already influential individuals in power, a major adjustment in its own right.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vives|first1=Ruben|title=Vernon's population to double – to 200 – as privately owned housing opens|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-vernon-housing-20150619-story.html|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 19, 2015 |access-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref>

Facing significant revenue shortfalls, in 2017 the Vernon city government proposed "Measure Q" to voters, which would have generated additional revenue to fund the government via a tax increase on electricity generated and sold by the city to residents and industries. Vernon residents rejected the tax increase by a margin of nine votes, with 23 voting no, and only 14 voting in favor of the utility tax increase.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Tanya|first1=Lyon|title=Councilmember Ybarra re-elected; Measure Q Rejected |url=http://www.cityofvernon.org/images/news/2017/OfficialElectionResults_04172017.pdf|website=City of Vernon|publisher=City of Vernon, California|access-date=July 1, 2017}}</ref>

Vernon's City Council is composed of five members, each elected to a five-year term according to the city's charter. Voters elect one City Council member during the city's April municipal elections, which take place on a second Tuesday. Vernon is one of the cities opposed to California's Senate Bill 415, which prohibits stand-alone elections for city councils, K–12 public schools, community colleges, and special districts, consolidating them with even-year county, state, and federal primary and general elections.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rendering Operations {{!}} Vernon, CA |url=https://www.cityofvernon.org/government/city-administration/rendering |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=www.cityofvernon.org |language=en}}</ref>