Springfield Voters Approve Two of Three City Charter Changes
By: KOLR10 News
Updated: August 8, 2012
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Voters in Springfield have eliminated the February primary and approved the increasing of the number of signatures required for an initiative petition.
After the dust settled Tuesday night, two of three Charter Amendments had passed, according to the Greene County Clerk.
Voters agreed that petitioners need to get more signatures in order to submit petitions to City Council. They'll need signatures from at least seven-percent of registered voters in the last general municipal election in April.
Before, a petition had to have at least the number of signatures equal to 10 percent of voters in the most recent municipal election.
"What we're doing is clamping down on initiative process so there's a little bit higher bar for language to jump over before it reaches the voters," said City Councilman Doug Burlison.
Voters decided against a charter proposal that would've tweaked initiative petition process to set up a one-year time limit for a group to gather signatures to place an initiative question to a vote by the citizens.
It would've also required a petitioners' committee comprised of five qualified voters to submit a proposed petitioner to the City Clerk; a committee obtain an advisory legal opinion and a fiscal summary from the City Director of Finance that contains anticipated implementation cost to the City and suggested funding source; and would've allowed Council, by a vote of at least seven members, to amend or delete invalid language or correct typographical errors prior to an election.
Springfield voters also approved a Charter Amendment that eliminates the February municipal primary election for City Council seats. It was on the ballot because city leaders said the February primary is no longer cost effective.
The confusion came because earlier this year, Gov. Nixon signed a state law eliminating the February election for everything but state bond issues.
Springfield City Attorney Dan Wichmer said the issue couldn't be taken off the August Springfield ballot because state law said it was too close to Election Day. Even so, Wichmer said the vote still counted.
"Because, even though the question has been answered by the governor, a 'yes' vote would allow us to clean up the language at this election that we've already proposed for that question, versus having to come back later on and ask you to fix the February primary language, anyway."
Springfield voters also approved the renewal of the 1/8-cent sales tax, and sided with the state on Amendment 2, a state constitutional amendment that guarantees the right to pray in a public place.
After the dust settled Tuesday night, two of three Charter Amendments had passed, according to the Greene County Clerk.
Voters agreed that petitioners need to get more signatures in order to submit petitions to City Council. They'll need signatures from at least seven-percent of registered voters in the last general municipal election in April.
Before, a petition had to have at least the number of signatures equal to 10 percent of voters in the most recent municipal election.
"What we're doing is clamping down on initiative process so there's a little bit higher bar for language to jump over before it reaches the voters," said City Councilman Doug Burlison.
Voters decided against a charter proposal that would've tweaked initiative petition process to set up a one-year time limit for a group to gather signatures to place an initiative question to a vote by the citizens.
It would've also required a petitioners' committee comprised of five qualified voters to submit a proposed petitioner to the City Clerk; a committee obtain an advisory legal opinion and a fiscal summary from the City Director of Finance that contains anticipated implementation cost to the City and suggested funding source; and would've allowed Council, by a vote of at least seven members, to amend or delete invalid language or correct typographical errors prior to an election.
Springfield voters also approved a Charter Amendment that eliminates the February municipal primary election for City Council seats. It was on the ballot because city leaders said the February primary is no longer cost effective.
The confusion came because earlier this year, Gov. Nixon signed a state law eliminating the February election for everything but state bond issues.
Springfield City Attorney Dan Wichmer said the issue couldn't be taken off the August Springfield ballot because state law said it was too close to Election Day. Even so, Wichmer said the vote still counted.
"Because, even though the question has been answered by the governor, a 'yes' vote would allow us to clean up the language at this election that we've already proposed for that question, versus having to come back later on and ask you to fix the February primary language, anyway."
Springfield voters also approved the renewal of the 1/8-cent sales tax, and sided with the state on Amendment 2, a state constitutional amendment that guarantees the right to pray in a public place.
