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After referendum, Mariposa supervisors agree to rescind multiple‑pet permit provision and revisit ordinance
Summary
Following citizen petitioners who collected 970 valid signatures, the board directed staff to return an item to rescind the multiple‑pet permit portion (§6.08.265) of Ordinance 1201. Petitioners said the permit’s inspection language raised Fourth Amendment and due‑process concerns; county counsel recommended rescinding the provision and revising the ordinance.
A successful citizen referendum forced a contentious discussion on Nov. 18 about a recently adopted animal‑control ordinance. The county elections official certified 970 valid signatures on a petition that challenged section 6.08.265 (the multiple‑pet permit) of Ordinance 1201; that certification triggered a public hearing and statutory options for the board.
Petition proponents, who gathered nearly 1,000 validated signatures in eight days, argued the multiple‑pet permit language authorized warrantless or insufficiently constrained inspections of private property and raised constitutional Fourth Amendment and due‑process concerns. Petitioner Brenda Ostrom said the ordinance reflected “a systemic failure” and criticized the county for continuing enforcement gaps that had previously harmed residents. Another circulator, Michael Matheson, said the referendum organizers did not oppose multiple‑pet permitting in principle but objected to the search authority as written and urged a rewrite.
Sheriff Jermaine Breeze and animal‑control staff said the permit was intended chiefly as an educational and welfare tool to help manage genuinely large accumulations of animals and to ensure adequate shelter, fencing and care. He urged caution about removing enforcement tools before better alternatives are in place.
County counsel reviewed legal options and recommended repeal of the multiple‑pet permit provision as the most prudent path to avoid protracted litigation and community division. After extended public testimony and board discussion, supervisors agreed by consensus to bring back a formal item to rescind the multiple‑pet permit section; Clerk Danielle Bonchu said the rescission item will return to the board on Dec. 9 for final action.
The board did not direct a special election or place the measure on the June primary ballot. County leaders said they expect to pursue a rewritten ordinance if legal review and community process can produce language that avoids constitutional vulnerabilities while addressing animal welfare and public‑safety concerns.
