Monthly Archive for City Government
City Government Stories Posted in August 2008
Initiative will aim to cut subsidies to retail stores
Category: City Government · State: Texas · Source: Austin Daily Texan
On the Nov. 4 ballot, Austin residents will not only face a decision between McCain and Obama, but also whether to prevent the city from subsidizing retail stores. If approved, a new citizen-led initiative called Stop Domain Subsidies will halt any tax rebates or subsidies provided by the city to retail stores. City officials designed the subsidies to generate more tax revenue by attracting more retail stores. In its last meeting, the city council approved the initiative's wording for the Nov. 4 ballot. Brian Rodgers, a local real estate investor, started the campaign in response to the 2003 city council decision to provide Endeavor Real Estate Group and its partner Simon Property Group Inc. with tax rebates for 20 years to develop retail space in Austin. In May of that year, the development company proposed to build a large mall center with 700,000 square feet of luxury retail and restaurant space called The Domain. In a 6-1 decision, council members approved the project and included a $65 million tax rebate to be provided over 20 years to the developers in the contract, Rodgers said. If Rodgers' initiative is unsuccessful, the city will also return 50 to 80 percent of the mall's sales tax to the developer. The money would allow The Domain to further generate profit.
Voters to Be Asked Whether To Limit Citizen Initiatives in Polk
Category: City Government · State: Florida · Source: Lakeland Ledger
County commissioners decided Wednesday to ask residents whether they want to squelch themselves. By a 4-1 vote, commissioners agreed to put four proposed charter amendments on the Nov. 4 ballot. The changes, if approved by voters, would make it harder for citizens to change the county charter or enact ordinances commissioners refused to consider. They would also prevent any question regarding citizen initiatives or tax referendums from being considered at any time other than during general elections every two years. Commissioner Jean Reed was the lone dissenting vote on the measures involving charter amendments. The tax amendment proposal passed unanimously.
Honolulu judge rules in favor of anti-rail petition
Category: City Government · State: Hawaii · Source: Bizjournals
A Honolulu judge ruled Thursday that the city clerk’s office must accept an anti-rail petition. Members of Stop Rail Now say they believe the ruling paves the way to allow Oahu residents to vote on a proposed ordinance this fall that reads, “Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail.” Circuit Court Judge Karl Sakamoto’s decision means the city clerk must accept and verify within 20 days whether Stop Rail Now has gathered a sufficient number of valid signatures. City Clerk Denise De Costa had argued the petition was delivered too late to be placed on the Nov. 4 ballot. Stop Rail Now said it has collected more than 49,000 signatures and will deliver the petition Thursday afternoon.
Crafton turns in signatures for English Only
Category: English · State: Tennessee · Source: Nashville City Paper
Councilman Eric Crafton turned in the signatures of reportedly 12,503 registered Davidson County voters to the Metro Clerk's office Thursday, clearing the way for the English Only charter amendment proposal to be on the ballot in November. Crafton also conceded at least a portion of the approximately $20,000 the petition drive cost came from a national English First group. He said he did not know what percentage. "I wasn't the one adding them up, so I don't know how much," Crafton said. The signatures will need to be verified by the Davidson County Election Commission, which Crafton said should take about two weeks. The English Only charter amendment proposal states that no one has a right to any Metro government services in any language except English. Crafton said the Nashville English First group, which sponsored the initiative raised about $20,000 for the effort, which primarily consisted of mailing petitions to voters. Crafton did not disclose the funding for the initiative, but said he would do so once the signed petitions were verified by the Election Commission.
Gloucester residents initiate recall of mayor
Category: City Government · State: Massachusetts · Source: Boston Globe
A dozen Gloucester residents representing several community groups have initiated a recall of Mayor Carolyn Kirk, saying her handling of the high school "pregnancy pact" brouhaha was the final straw in her failure to lead the city "fairly and effectively." In a petition being circulated, the group also says the mayor has failed to ensure open government by refusing to investigate and prosecute waste and fraud, particularly in the police and public works departments. Annette Dion, a 45-year-old private music teacher in Gloucester, said the resignation last week of Gloucester High principal Joseph Sullivan, a decision he said was based on what he termed slander by the mayor, was the boiling point in the group's built-up frustrations with Kirk's administration. "We don't agree with Carolyn Kirk's style of leading the city," Dion said. "In many instances, she's not met with people who have asked. She's not really been very good with the public."
Ballot initiative hangs in limbo: Approximately 1,500 signatures gathered to limit compensation for commissioners
Category: City Government · State: Michigan · Source: Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
Clear as mud. Those three words pretty well sum up the status of a local petition drive to limit the compensation of individual Chippewa County Commissioners to $8,400. “We all know the value of petitions,” said one of the key members of the grassroots organization, Debbie Sirk, in presenting the signatures to the board. “Now let’s work together to find a way to put this on the ballot.” The commissioners, however, expressed a reluctance to give their approval and, from all indications, they weren’t even sure if they could. Commissioner Scott Shackleton said that while he had a tremendous amount of respect for the democratic process and the citizen petition, he didn’t feel it was the county commission’s responsibility to put the question on the ballot. Shackleton said he would have the same reservations if the group was asking for a park designation or petitioning for taxes to go up or down.
Repeal group says it has enough signatures
Category: Alcohol Sales · State: Michigan · Source: Grand Haven Tribune
The Say Yes to Sunday group says it has more than enough signatures to give Ottawa County voters a chance to repeal the ban on Sunday beer and wine sales. Now they'll have to wait and see how many of those petition signatures are from registered Ottawa County voters. The group said it has 39,700 signatures as of 8 this morning, which — if they are all valid — is 1,944 more than necessary to get the measure on the Nov. 4 ballot. Say Yes to Sunday spokesman Jim Storey said the group could have between 41,000 and 42,000 signatures by the time members deliver the petition to County Clerk Dan Krueger this afternoon.
Tax rates proposal may go to ballot
Category: Taxes · State: Michigan · Source: Detroit Free Press
Residents in Troy may get to decide during the November election whether the city would need to get voter approval for future tax increases. Advertisement The Troy City Council is considering a citizen-initiated petition, signed by more than 2,700 residents, that proposes freezing the city's tax rate for operating and capital costs at 8.1 mills, costing a resident with a home that has a $124,885 taxable value -- the average in Troy -- $1,012 a year. The council discussed the issue Monday but postponed making a decision until the Aug. 11 meeting. "I am 100% for the people and putting it on the ballot," Troy resident Audre Zembrzuski, who signed the petition, told the council Monday. "I think it's about time we got down to brass tacks."
Anti-rail group revives petition
Category: City Government · State: Hawaii · Source: Honolulu Star Bulletin
Leaders of an anti-rail group say they have collected enough signatures for a petition initiative that could stop the city’s proposed $4 billion rail transit system. They planned to submit it to the City Clerk's Office by 2 p.m. today. Cliff Slater, an organizer of Stop Rail Now, said they had collected about 49,000 signatures as of yesterday, when they made their final rally for signatures outside the organization's South Street headquarters.
Petition seeks referendum on spending
Category: City Government · State: Wisconsin · Source: Fon du Lac Reporter
A petition with more than 400 signatures calls for the Village of North Fond du Lac to go to referendum for all future expenditures that exceed $1 million. The petition was filed in the village office on Thursday, just one day after a heated public hearing during which officials moved plans forward, despite some citizen opposition, for a $37 million lakeside hotel/convention center/marina. Copies of the petition were being circulated during the meeting Wednesday night that ended when members of the village’s Community Development Authority (CDA) approved a resolution that launches the process for formation of a tax incremental financing (TIF) district. The TIF district would help fund redevelopment of land, and the proposed Winnebago Project resort, to be located along Lake Winnebago on blighted property owned by developer Alex Zabel.
Other Monthly Archives for City Government
- August 2008 (10)