Proposed ordinance would substantially change petition rules

On today’s City Council agenda is a proposed ordinance that would “slow down and erect roadblocks to citizen-initiated petitions for ordinances, charter amendments, and recall of sitting council members,” according to a message from the Save Our Springs Alliance. The proposed ordinance “would require petitioners to register with the city clerk before launching a petition drive and use only city-clerk-issued petition forms that may or may not be approved at some unknown later date.” SOS notes that the ordinance, which would need Council approval but would not be presented to voters like a City Charter amendment, could have allowed Council to delay and undermine the Save Our Springs citizen initiative ordinance. It’s item 24 on the agenda. Council had proposed 13 charter amendments for the November ballot that were removed by a judge who found the city gave insufficient notice when the items were placed on the Council agenda for consideration. Unlike the  charter amendment, the proposed ordinance does not raise the number of signatures required for a recall petition from 10 percent to 15 percent, because that would require voter approval, but it imposes restrictions on the petition process.

A city spokesperson said via email, “Item 24 was part of a package of policy recommendations made by the Charter Review Commission. For those items that do not require an amendment to the City’s Charter and can instead be implemented in City Code, Council requested that those policy recommendations return to the Council as an ordinance for Council approval.”