“I have met all of the qualifications to run for office in Nevada City,” says Jim Khatami

NEVADA CITY, Calif. May 23, 2026 – To run for a seat on Nevada City’s City Council, a candidate needs to be a registered voter of the city at the time nomination papers are issued and not convicted of a disqualifying felony. By that measure, all three candidates for the two open seats are eligible to run for office.

However, questions about Jim Khatami’s residence have been swirling around for weeks.

Nevada City residents reached out, providing documents obtained through Public Records Act requests and online searches, demanding answers. We explained our reporting process – reporters search, request and check documents on their own and Mr. Khatami would be given the opportunity to answer questions. We also explained we do not consider the family of candidates “fair game,” because the family members do not run for office. Given Khatami’s insistence on his six-year residency in Nevada City, we decided to follow up on our previous questions to the candidates.

Full time resident for six years?

Khatami states on his campaign website “he has lived here full time for 6 years.” He has repeated that statement in candidate forums and social media posts.

His voter registration history appears to contradict the six-year statement:

The period of September 21, 2023 to April 7, 2025 (18 months and two weeks) squarely falls in the six-year period Khatami claims to be a full-time Nevada City resident.

You have the right to change your voter registration between jurisdictions – as long as you fulfill the legal requirements of the respective jurisdictions.

You can register to vote in Nevada County if all of the following are true:

• You are a citizen of the United States
• You reside in Nevada County
• You will be at least 18 years old at the time of the next election
• You are not currently incarcerated for the conviction of a felony
• You have not been found by a court to be mentally incompetent

To register to vote in San Francisco, you must be: 

1. A San Francisco resident and, for most contests, a U.S. citizen 
2. At least 18 years old by the date of the next election
3. Not in state or federal prison for the conviction of a felony 
4. Not currently found mentally incompetent to vote by a court 

We asked Khatami if he could explain his voter registration bouncing between San Francisco and Nevada City and provided the timeline above.

Principal residence is where?

We asked why his house in San Francisco shows a homeowners’ exemption instead of his Nevada City residence. Both homes are owned jointly by Khatami and his spouse.

The CA State Board of Equalization (BOE) definition of the homeowners’ exemption: “The California Constitution provides a $7,000 reduction in the taxable value for a qualifying owner-occupied home. The home must have been the principal place of residence of the owner on the lien date, January 1st.”

Principal Residence is defined in the BOE’s Property Taxes Law Guide: “Principal Residence. Whether a dwelling located in California is a person’s principal place of residence is a question of fact. To qualify for the exemption, a dwelling must be the person’s true, fixed and permanent home and principal establishment to which he/she, whenever absent, intends to return. In-state presence, vehicle registration, voter registration, bank accounts, and state income tax filings are among the matters to be considered in determining residency, which, for exemption purposes, is equivalent to domicile. C 11/20/1984.”

Reports

We asked Khatami why his campaign finance Form 460 does not list vendors for services. Three separate Statements of Economic Interests – Form 700, filed by Khatami do not show any investments, income or real property.

Mr. Khatami’s email response, in full

FORM 700

My Form 700 for 2025 does list my address under the heading of document verification on the cover page.   I texted you a copy of that form.  My address on the Form 700 that I submitted for the 2026 City Council campaign shows a redacted  address.  The forms for both other candidates also show a redacted address. 

FORM 460

I believe that I listed fully all my campaign expenditures on my most recent 460, Schedule C,  along with all the companies that were paid by my campaign.   On this issue, I would ask that you apply the same level of scrutiny to the other candidates’ campaigns, as you are applying to mine.  I don’t think this discussion serves anyone’s best interests, but both of the other candidates filed their initial 460 forms (4/30) a week after the deadline for submission.

I own  a property in San Francisco which I own with my wife.  My opponent for the open seat also has a second property.  Hers is in 29 Palms.  

My wife and I bought our house in Nevada City in April 2013..  In 2020, I retired and

have spent the majority of my time in Nevada City.   I have met all of the qualifications to run for office in Nevada City.  I am registered to vote here.  My residence is at [redacted by YubaNet].  My residency is not in doubt. 

Thank you for the inquiry.  As I mentioned earlier, I look forward to seeing the same scrutiny of my opponents.  I understand that one of my opponents, like me, owns a second home also.  This is not illegal.  And she registered to vote here very recently.  Also not illegal.   An examination of me would show that I also comply with the requirements to run for City Council in Nevada City. 

Jim Khatami

All Form 700 filings are public records to ensure that officials are making decisions in the best interest of the public and not enhancing their personal finances. The statements are available on the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC) Form 700 website.

Campaign finance disclosures (Forms, 460, 470 and 497) are filed with the city. Adam Kline and Micayla Sortland filed on April 30, 2026 – after the April 23 deadline for the first pre-election statement. Jim Khatami filed on April 23, and his Form 460 listed expenditures for a social media consultant, campaign mailings and website design as non-monetary contributions received by the campaign from Jim Khatami.

Our final question to Mr. Khatami was: The frequent voter registration changes, property taxes for your various houses being mailed to SF, and the paper check used to pay for the candidate filing in Nevada City showing the SF address, contribute to uncertainty about your residence. Can you unequivocally state that your principal residence is in Nevada City and has been for the past six years?

Mr. Khatami’s response sidestepped questions about his voter registration changes, the homeowners’ exemption on their house in San Francisco.

He appears to be confused on what constitutes an open seat. Two city council seats are up for election, regardless if an incumbent chooses to run for re-election.

Unanswered questions

As a self-proclaimed full-time Nevada City resident, how can he fulfill the requirements for a homeowners’ exemption in San Francisco?

As a self-proclaimed full-time Nevada City resident, how was he able to fulfill the residency requirement to vote in San Francisco?

Why, in the middle of his self-proclaimed six-year residency in Nevada City, did he change his voter registration to San Francisco and voted in their election instead of a Nevada City City Council election and other contest on the Nevada County ballot?