AUSTINTOWN BALLOTS State alters home-rule language

The ballot language had asked voters to cast their ballots for the repeal of home rule.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- The Ohio Secretary of State's Office has revised the way this township's home-rule resolution will appear on Tuesday's ballot, to make it less confusing for voters.
The ballot language will read: "The Board of Trustees of the township of Austintown, on March 11, 2002, adopted the limited home rule form of township government, under which form the board of township trustees may exercise limited power of local self-government and limited police powers.
"Shall the township of Austintown continue the limited home rule government under which it is operating?"
Township voters will be asked to cast their ballot, "For continuation" or "Against continuation."
The ballot language was printed in the township trustees' fall newsletter, which was sent to all homes in the township.
A group of township residents filed petitions in August to place home rule on the ballot. The petitions, which included about 1,700 signatures, asked to have voters cast their ballots "For the repeal of home rule" or "Against the repeal of home rule."
That meant that a "for" vote would have been a vote against home rule.
Trustees' concerns
Trustees expressed concern that the language would confuse township residents. In September, they asked the Mahoning County Board of Elections to revise the language.
The board of elections sent the language to the secretary of state's office, which made the revisions.
"We had it straightened out," Trustee Bo Pritchard said.
The Vindicator published the old ballot language Sunday. Today, the newspaper and the board of elections received calls from residents confused about the published ballot language.
Pinecrest Avenue resident Gary Brant, who helped organize the effort to place home rule on the ballot, said he had no problems with the new ballot language.
Home rule was defeated by township voters when it appeared on the ballot in 1992, 1995 and 1997. The margin of defeat in 1997 was less than 10 votes.
Brant and some other township residents have said they believe the trustees shouldn't have approved home rule when it had been voted down by township residents three times. They also have expressed concern about expanding the trustees' power through home rule.
Trustees have said that home rule will give them the power to address blight and other problems in the township. They said they do not have that power under the township's current form of government.
Trustees have passed a resolution under home rule that allows township officials to fine residents who keep exotic animals as pets. They've also held a first reading of a resolution establishing a property maintenance code. The exotic animal ordinance could not be enforced if home rule fails Tuesday.
hill@vindy.com