Proposed rule change to require sponsor or counsel to file ordinances sparks sharp debate and fails to advance

The council debated a proposal to amend Section 32.39 of the council rules to clarify prerequisites for placing ordinances and resolutions on the agenda and to require that each measure be filed in person or by electronic mail by the sponsoring councilperson or by legal counsel.

City legal counsel explained the change as a reorganization of the rule that adds a single substantive requirement: a filing must be done by the sponsoring councilperson or a legal counsel acting with verification. The proposal was prompted by a recent incident in which an ordinance was filed without the knowledge or authorization of the councilperson whose signature appeared on the document. That event provoked extended public comment and council questions about process, clerk workload, and whether the mayor’s office had improperly refiled a previously withdrawn measure.

Mayor Dan Ridenour said his staff consulted legal counsel and that an administrative assistant acted on advice to restamp an earlier document; he said he would take responsibility for the sequence of events. Clerk Lacey Jones described practical limits of office hours and the value of electronic timestamps if items are emailed late on a filing day.

The proposed change drew sharp disagreement among council members: some said a rule change is needed to prevent misuse of signatures, and others said individual council members should be responsible for reading and tracking their own sponsored documents. After extended debate and a roll-call tally, the introductory motion did not carry and the rule change did not advance; councilmembers urged administrative and clerical improvements and suggested potential amendments could be brought back later.

Mayor Ridenour, the clerk and council legal counsel said the item could be amended and returned; the council did not adopt the change at this meeting.