PATA History Pages

Double-sided viewpoints on Initiatives and Referendums

Links below on various Inititatives / Referendum articles -

A number of recent articles in the Columbus Dispatch are dealing with the validity on Initiatives and Referendums.

We have provided links below to these articles.

The first link - Columbus Dispatch (3/6/02) Ousted councilman's appointment has some in Pickerington angry
--- includes comments from Pickerington City Law Director, Bob Mapes.
Mapes plans to advise Pickerington Finance Director Linda Fersh, who is acting as auditor, to rule that the petitions are invalid.


The second link is to a letter to the
editor from Attorney Donald McTigue titled - DEVELOPMENT PETITION DIDN'T MEET OHIO LAW (3/2/02)
---- includes the opinion that petitions (related to the petitions for Sprawl Control - sewer line expansions & the Darby) should be invalid due to lack of "The requirement for notarization in this case is not a minor or technical issue."

It should be noted that Mr. Mc Tigue argued the case of the "No on State Control of Property Rights" referendum that lacked notorization on petitions for this statewide referendum questioned by the Boards of Election and the Secretary of State and in that case notorization was NOT a valid reason to disallow petitions in that referendum drive.

Third link-
- Darby petition wasn't notarized, official says (3/2/02)

Fourth link - REFERENDUM SEEKERS FILE 100,000 MORE SIGNATURES - (3/5/02)
Judge John Connor found that five counties should not have disqualified signatures because circulators failed to fill out affidavits saying how much they were paid per signature. Petition circulators generally were paid $1 per signature.

Connor's decision meant that petition circulators had until yesterday to file more signatures.

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-- Isn't it interesting how it "flows both ways"?

Links

Ousted councilman's appointment has some in Pickerington angry
DEVELOPMENT PETITION DIDN'T MEET OHIO LAW
Darby petition wasn't notarized, official says
REFERENDUM SEEKERS FILE 100,000 MORE SIGNATURES