SUMMARY: An ordinance amending Charter Section 135 by reducing the number of required petition signatures of registered electors on a citizen initiative to no less than two hundred fifty (250).This petition requests that the ordinance presented be submitted to a vote of the people if not passed by the City Council (City Charter Section 134).
WANT TO SIGN?
If you're registered to vote and are a citizen of Grand Junction (not just having "Grand Junction" in your address, but living within the city limits) you can sign this petition: you'll need to sign the actual officially approved petition (each "booklet" of the petition signatures is specially approved).
It's actually easy. I make it easier: to find out where the petition is being circulated so you can sign it, or to request the petition be brought nearer to you so you can sign it, email am4grandjunction@gmail.com. I will schedule a time and place that is convenient to you!
If you're a resident of somewhere else and cannot legally sign this petition, I'd love to help you start your own similar petition.
REASONS FOR THIS PETITION INCLUDE:
- At present, ordinary citizens are unable to exercise their rights to initiative due to excessively demanding signature requirements.
- The new proposed amount is high enough to dissuade frivolous initiatives but also is low enough to permit citizens the freedom to exercise their rights and submit a question to their neighbors at the next already scheduled General Election.
- That there is at every election reasonable concern over whether candidates are qualified or capable of the important civil service of Councilor demonstrates only that too much power has been consolidated in the Council specifically - and our City’s government generally. It is urgently necessary to return this power to the People if we will restore justice to defend our happiness, that we may enjoy the liberties and freedoms to which we are entitled.
- The Colorado Constitution provides for the administration of our municipalities by direct Democracy: our founders understood the limitations of even representative government. With all due respect, however well intentioned, experienced and qualified our City’s civil leadership (elected and appointed) may be, they alone are incapable of resolving our present crises: the problems of our city require the involvement and leadership of every citizen for resolution.
- To reduce the signature threshold will secure the interests of our City by restoring its representative system of government. Through Democracy we may better develop friendship and respect in our community, and achieve the full promise of our citizenship.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE READS AS FOLLOWS
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED:
That a question of proposed amendment to Section 135 of the Charter to reduce the signature requirements for citizen initiatives to no less than 250 registered electors, as follows, be placed on the November 5, 2019 ballot. Proposed amendment(s) are shown with underlined and strike-through text:
135.
If the petition be signed by registered electors equal in number to at least
LATEST and OLD NEWS
You can click here to see all the blog posts about it - catch up on old news, or the latest happenings with the petition.