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Council moves to prepare legislation rejecting citizen initiative if signatures are certified
Summary
Facing a board of elections delay, council members instructed administration to prepare legislation to reject the Sylvania initiative petition and set a response deadline of May 30, 2026; the committee and later council voted to move forward pending certification, with a committee vote of 6–1.
Council members discussed a citizen initiative petition titled the "Sylvania resource conservation and equal access ordinance" and directed administration to prepare legislation to reject the petition if the board of elections certifies the signatures. Mary Westfall said the signatures were submitted to the clerk April 20 and sent to the board of elections April 21; due to a primary, certification is delayed, and the city must respond by May 30, 2026.
Members debated whether to ask the initiative committee to accept ordinance 75‑2026 as an amendment or to reject the petition and let the public decide. Several members said they had not received any willingness from the initiative group to accept amendments. After discussion, the committee moved to reject the petition contingent on certification and asked administration to prepare the rejection legislation; the motion passed by roll call 6–1. Council later affirmed the direction and scheduled the prepared legislation for the May 18 meeting.
