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Residents urge Dayton commission to let voters decide public hospital initiative
Summary
Speakers representing the Clergy Community Coalition urged the Dayton City Commission during public comment to allow a citizen-led initiative to go to the ballot and described next-step signature and timeline details; commissioners did not take an immediate vote on the measure at the meeting.
Charlene Bayless, a representative of the Clergy Community Coalition, told the Dayton City Commission that the group is asking the commission to place a citizen petition on the November 2025 ballot so Dayton voters can decide whether to create a public hospital. "Mayor Mims and commission, next Wednesday, give Dayton citizens the go ahead to vote for their health by placing the Dayton public health hospital issue on the November 2025 ballot," Bayless said.
The petition effort and its timeline were a recurring theme during public comment from multiple speakers. Nancy Kiel, a member of the Clergy Community Coalition, described how the group expects a schedule that could include a ballot placement this fall, tax collections in 2026 if the measure passes, and a phased planning process. "This fall, the initiative will be placed on the 2025 ballot. When it passes in 2026, taxes will be collected," Kiel said, and added that the group plans a community assessment and phased feasibility work before funds are spent.
Why it matters: petition supporters said the measure responds to hospital closures and gaps in maternal and emergency care in neighborhoods that lost nearby hospitals. Multiple speakers said signature-gathering has been extensive: Kathleen Galt said the coalition collected about 5,500 signatures across three rounds and framed that as roughly 4 percent of Dayton's population and about 6 percent of registered voters.
During public comment, speakers also urged the commission to be accessible to petitioners and to avoid discouraging civic participation. Kathleen Galt said city officials could be more helpful in answering procedural questions from volunteers collecting signatures. "City officials have not been so hostile towards people trying to participate in their right to petition," she said.
Commissioners did not adopt or reject the petition during the meeting. In closing remarks the commission thanked speakers for civic engagement; Commissioner Jones (closing comments identified in the record as Commissioner Jones Law[s]) thanked those who came and encouraged follow-up but did not announce any formal action or vote on the petition at this session.
The statements and timeline details reported here reflect what petition representatives said in public comment and do not represent actions taken by the commission at this meeting. Commission procedures around petition verification and next steps for ballot placement were not resolved in the record.
Speakers at the podium described their organization, their concerns about hospital access, and their signature counts; the commission recorded no formal direction or vote on the initiative during this meeting.
