Dayton commission declines to place public-hospital tax levy on November ballot; citizens plan petition drive

The Dayton City Commission on July 23 declined to submit a citizen initiative proposing a 1‑mill tax levy for a public hospital to the ballot, voting 2 in favor, 2 against and 1 abstention, a result supporters said will send them back to the streets to collect signatures for a voter-led petition.

The motion to submit “Ordinance No. 32152‑25” (as read into the record) — described by supporters as a proposal to place a 1‑mill levy before city voters to fund a public hospital — failed on a roll-call vote: Mayor Jeffery Mims and Commissioner Turner Sloss voted yes; Commissioner Joseph and Commissioner Shaw voted no; Commissioner Fairchild abstained. Commissioner Regina Blackshear had presented an amended clerk’s report on the citizen initiative earlier in the meeting, which the commission approved before the…