Commission advances initiative‑and‑referendum changes to study committee; lowers county signature threshold and allows statistical sampling

Commissioner Garber presented Amendment 2640 to adjust initiative and referendum procedures in the charter. The proposal would lower countywide signature thresholds from 10% to 8%, permit proponents with insufficient countywide signatures to convert an effort into a mini‑initiative if they meet the 3% threshold, and authorize the auditor’s office to use statistical sampling (minimum 10% sample) to verify countywide petition signatures per a sampling method cited in the presentation.