Residents urge council to adopt ordinance requiring members or counsel to file ordinances; measure introduced

The council introduced Ordinance 3-26, a proposed change to the City of Muncie code (section 32.39) that would require ordinances and resolutions to be filed by an identifiable council member or by legal counsel.

At introduction several residents and local activists asked the council to move quickly to adopt the change. Speakers who identified themselves for the record included Alex Kluber, Rita Faulkner, Julian Franklin, Ellen Whitehead, Mary Moore and others; they framed the measure as a procedural fix that would increase transparency and prevent misattribution of items on the agenda. "Voting in support of this ordinance is a vote for transparency," said Whitehead. Mary Moore urged the council to show institutional independence and said the measure is about "responsibility and accountability."

Council members and members of the public clarified that introduction is not adoption; the mayor and council president reiterated that the ordinance will return for a formal vote at a later meeting. Multiple commenters asked the council to adopt the measure next month and to avoid partisan framing. Several speakers tied the need for the ordinance to prior local controversies and to a desire to restore public trust.

Next steps: Ordinance 3-26 was introduced on roll call and will be placed on a future agenda for formal adoption.