Petition for charter change moving forward

 

By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 8:18 PM Monday, August 10, 2009

Just a few hundred more signatures to go and voters may see a referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot to reduce the size of Middletown City Council and eliminate the ward system.

For the past few weeks, a citizens group has been collecting signatures to place Charter Review Committee recommendation on the ballot which was defeated by one vote by council last month.

Jeff Michel, a Florence Street resident who is spearheading the effort, said Monday, Aug. 10, that a petition drive at Java Johnny’s over the weekend was successful and “very effective.”

According to Ann Mort, 24 people have been circulating the petitions around town for the past few weeks, going door to door or by attending various community events.

Last Wednesday, Tom Brickey, who chaired the Charter Review Committee, was circulating a petition with others during the Broad Street Bash downtown.

Michel expects to have enough valid signatures, about 1,200, to submit the petitions to the Butler County Board of Elections as early as Wednesday for a pre-screening.

He said the group was to meet on Monday to determine its next steps.

He said he hopes to give council enough time to consider the matter before the Aug. 20 filing deadline. Council’s next meeting is Aug. 18. If there are enough valid signatures on the referendum petitions, the issue will be placed on the Nov. 3 ballot.

“The people on the street are backing it,” Michel said. ‘They want it on the ballot.”

He said Mayor Larry Mulligan, and Councilmen Bill Becker, Tony Marconi and Jim Armbruster — who all voted to place the issue on the ballot — have signed the petition.

The citizens group believes the recommendations should have been approved and placed on the ballot by council last month so that the voters decide for themselves on the issues.

However, state law permits council to accept, modify or reject recommendations from the charter review committee.

A two-thirds majority, or five votes were needed to place the measures on the ballot. Although four council members voted to place it on the ballot, Council members David Schiavone, Anita Scott Jones and Leslie Ford voted no, defeating the measure. All three council members said they did not believe the ward system should be eliminated.

Wanda Glover, a member of the Charter Review Committee and president of the Second Ward Community Council, voted against recommendation.

She said she’s received numerous calls from throughout the community opposing the petition drive effort. However, she said she’ll “wait and see” if the petition drive is successful.

“It’s unfair they’re trying to back door council on this,” Glover said. “The 2nd Ward feels it needs to be represented as a ward (on council).”