Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections Initiative topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wilsonville city manager rescinds letter voiding ballot petition; petitioners ask council to accept filing
Summary
After staff initially found a citizen initiative petition deficient under municipal code timing rules, the city manager announced he instructed staff to rescind the voiding letter and to consider the petition filed; petition backers said they had submitted over 3,200 signatures and urged council to place the question on the May 2026 ballot.
City Manager Cosgrove told the council on Jan. 5 that staff reviewed an initiative petition seeking a charter amendment and initially concluded it failed to meet the Wilsonville Municipal Code's 180‑day filing rule. The manager said the city’s elections official had notified petitioners their submission was void on Dec. 31 because it arrived after the 180‑day deadline.
Cosgrove said he instructed staff to rescind the letter that voided the petition and to "consider the petition filed." He said the council would table consideration of next steps that evening but that staff would follow up on procedural questions and the statutory process.
Several petition supporters told the council they had gathered more than 3,200 signatures and asked the city to accept the petition and place the measure on the May 2026 ballot. Kate Johnson, who helped gather signatures, said the group substantially exceeded the signature requirement and urged council to exercise civic leadership to allow the question to proceed.
Dan Meek, counsel for the chief petitioners, said he understood the manager’s statement to mean the city is treating the petition as filed under ORS 250.325 and requested clarification on whether the December 15 filing declaration stands.
The city attorney noted statutory timelines and the council discussed whether to prepare a competing measure (ORS 250.325(2)); several councilors indicated they did not want to create a competing measure on the city’s own initiative. Staff said they would follow up with petition counsel and provide more detail at a future meeting.
Public comment during the meeting included broad concern about the appointment process for boards and commissions; several speakers urged greater transparency and multi‑panel interviews as part of any appointment reform.
