Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Lancaster Decides Not to Change Election : Government: Council rejects arguments that moving the date to November could save taxpayers $100,000.

LANCASTER — Rejecting arguments that moving the date of an upcoming municipal election could save taxpayers about $100,000, the Lancaster City Council voted Tuesday not to make changes in the election schedule.

The three council members who opposed a proposal to move the election--from April, 1996, to Novemebr of this year--argued that the cost savings were uncertain. And besides, they said they didn’t want to cut short their terms.

It was the second attempt to change the city election date so that it would not conflict with a state primary election. Last year Lancaster council members voted to move the April, 1996, city election to March, 1997, but numerous residents expressed outrage that council members were extending their terms by 11 months. A recall campaign was begun to try to remove from office the council members who voted for the change.

The council dropped that plan last month, but some council members continued to push for an election date change, saying that holding a separate municipal election in April could cost the city an additional $100,000.

In a somewhat related matter, the council unanimously asked the city staff to look into how much it would cost to add a ballot measure for the November election to ask Lancaster voters whether or not they want to switch to direct election of their mayor.

Currently, the mayor’s post is ceremonial and is rotated among council members.

Several council members and residents who spoke at the meeting hinted that hidden political agendas were behind the proposed change.

The plan to directly elect a mayor was proposed by Frank Roberts, who is now finishing his year as mayor under the rotation system.

“I’m always suspicious of the guy who gets his turn and then says, ‘Oh, no more,’ ” said Councilman Mike Singer, who might lose his turn as mayor next year if Roberts’ proposal is enacted. “To change horses in mid-stream isn’t necessarily kosher.”

Nevertheless, Singer joined the other four council members in asking the city staff to return next month with various options and cost figures for a ballot measure concerning the direct election.