Voters Show Strong Opposition to Gold Rush Ranch Project in Measure N Referendum

All the votes have been counted in Sutter Creek’s Measure N election. In a reversal of preliminary results, "No on N" lost by 16 votes. The final tally was 657 yes to 641 no.

We're grateful to the voters for speaking out to preserve historic Sutter Creek. Such a close election shows just how much local residents value our small town quality of life. Against huge odds, a substantial number of voters said that they don't want Sutter Creek to double in size and population with one huge golf course housing subdivision.

We hope the city council will pay attention to what this tight election means -- that citizens want managed growth that is more in keeping with the traditions of our town. And with turnout far exceeding the county level, they’ve shown just how much they care about the future of Sutter Creek.

This election was true grassroots democracy in action. Our volunteers took time from their busy lives to go door to door, post signs and call their neighbors. And they worked really hard to get out the voters on Election Day. We truly appreciate everyone who helped.

We’re not surprised the vote was close. After all, we spent three months putting together a campaign, had no paid campaign staff, and spent less than $5,000. In contrast, Gold Rush has been organizing the town for more eight to ten years, has paid staff, highly paid consultants, and outspent us more than 30-1.

We are optimistic that the citizens of Sutter Creek can move beyond this hard-fought campaign and work together for our community, consistent with our long, small-town tradition.