Explanation
On June 25, 2012, petitioners Jonathon C. Beard, James D. Moore, Michael D. Aaron, Willis E. Brown and Robert J. Fitrakis ("petitioners") filed with the City Clerk a petition to amend the Charter of the City of Columbus. Petitioners filed 1,214 part-petitions purporting to contain 29,527 signatures of Columbus electors.
The people have established in the Ohio Constitution and the Charter of the City of Columbus a requirement that petitioners file valid signatures of no less than 10% of the electors in the last preceding municipal election to submit such a petition to the electors of the City. Since 191,639 Columbus residents voted in the last general municipal election on November 8, 2011, petitioners must present 19,164 valid signatures.
The City Clerk has certified to the Council of the City of Columbus that the petition contains 8,471 valid signatures, as determined by the Franklin County Board of Elections. Over 70% of the signatures submitted by petitioners have been deemed invalid. Thus, petitioners have submitted valid signatures from 4% of Columbus electors.
The petitioners fail to meet the mandatory minimum standards established by the people in the Ohio Constitution and the Charter of the City of Columbus and, as such, their proposed charter amendment shall not be submitted to the electors of the City of Columbus.
Title
To determine the insufficiency of a petition to amend the Charter of the City of Columbus; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, The Ohio Constitution, Article 18, Section 9, and the Charter of the City of Columbus, Section 234, vest with the people the right to amend the City Charter via a citizen-initiated charter amendment petition; and
WHEREAS, Petitioners are vested with the responsibility to meet all applicable requirements of the Ohio Constitution, the Charter of the City of Columbus, and the Ohio Revised Code in seeking to amend the Charter; and
WHEREAS, The Columbus City Council is required to ...
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