A petition seeking to stop the Oxford Village Council from spending anymore tax money on cityhood without a prior vote of village residents has garnered enough signatures and been filed.
Bill Dunn, village resident and township supervisor, has collected 361 petition signatures seeking the enactment of a village ordinance that places a ‘spending prohibition? where cityhood is concerned.
The Dennison Street resident filed the petition with village Clerk Christine Burns Friday, September 9
The proposed language prohibits the council or any member of the village government from spending ‘any village funds to assist or aid in any manner any effort made or action taken toward incorporating the village into a city.?
It also prohibits the village government from taking any further action in favor of cityhood or supporting any petitions seeking to incorporate the village into a city without a prior vote of village residents.
In fact, the proposed ordinance would require council to oppose any cityhood incorporation petition unless authorized to do otherwise by a vote of village residents.
‘I just want village residents to vote on the cityhood issue before anymore tax money is spent by council or before village officials take anymore action promoting cityhood,? Dunn said. ‘I don’t know what’s so radical about the idea of government asking people what they want before moving forward.?
‘The village wants to paint me as anti-cityhood and anti-village, but all I’m asking is for me and other village residents to have a vote on cityhood before more tax money is spent. What’s wrong with asking people what they want first?? he explained.
If the petition is found ‘sufficient and proper? by the village clerk ? meaning it’s been signed by at least 15 percent (or 347) of the village’s 2,314 registered voters ? it must be submitted to council at its next regular meeting.
According to Manager Joe Young, Dunn’s petition will be ‘formally received? by council at tonight’s 7 p.m. village meeting. Young said the village clerk has not yet had the opportunity to check and verify all the signatures.
Once the petition has been found ‘sufficient and proper? by the clerk, council has 30 days to either ‘adopt the ordinance as submitted in the petition? or ‘submit the proposal to the electors of the village.? according to Chapter 8 of the village charter.
If council chooses to put it to a vote of the people, the proposal must be put on the ballot at the ‘next election held in the village for any purpose,? provided there’s one within 180 days.
If there is not one, ‘council shall schedule a special election to be held within 180 days from the date said petition was found sufficient and proper.?
In the Sept. 14. Oakland Press, cityhood committee chair Tracy Miller, Sr, husband of village President Renee Donovan, claimed the petition to move forward in the cityhood process has ‘close to 400 signatures, if not more? and will be submitted to the state Boundary Commission as soon as today.
The pro-cityhood petition needed at least 177 signatures from village residents who are both eligible voters and property owners. According to state law, the pro-cityhood petition must be signed by a number of ‘qualified electors and freeholders (landowners)? residing in the village equal to 5 percent of the municipality’s total population, which currently stands at 3,540 based on the 200 U.S. Census.