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Charter panel debates petition thresholds for Willow Park ballot measures
Summary
Members of the Willow Park charter commission debated proposed petition rules in Article 6, weighing a high threshold tied to recent turnout (30%) against a lower fixed share of registered voters (10%) and considering higher bars for recalls; commissioners asked staff to refine language and return a revised draft.
The Willow Park charter commission spent a substantial part of its meeting debating how easy it should be for residents to put initiatives, referendums or recalls on the city ballot.
Chair said the alternate draft for Article 6 would validate a petition by “the lesser of either 30% of those who voted in the most recent general municipal election, or 10% of Willow Park residents who are current registered voters,” noting that “currently 30% would be 1,290” and that 10% would be roughly 430 signatures. Proponents said the lower, fixed percentage would make citizen-led measures feasible in a city where turnout in recent municipal elections has been low.
Several commissioners said 30% of recent voters would set a bar too high for most petition efforts. One commissioner endorsed leaning “on the side of lower than higher” thresholds so petitions are not “defeated” by turnout shortfalls. Commissioners also discussed separating thresholds for initiatives/referendums and recalls; the Chair proposed a higher requirement for recalls (about 40% of recent voters) to limit frivolous removal efforts.
The group also debated timing restrictions that would prevent an identical petition from being filed again for 24 months, and whether that limit should apply only to initiatives and referendums or also to recalls. Members sought clarity on whether the mayor is included in recall provisions and asked staff to make the charter language explicit on that point.
The commission did not adopt final text. Chair said she will incorporate the evening’s input into a working draft and circulate explicit language before the next meeting so commissioners can provide written edits.
