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Proposed reduction of Youngstown's wards to be on Nov. ballot
YOUNGSTOWN
A charter-amendment proposal that would reduce the number of wards in the city from seven to five will be on the Nov. 4 ballot.
Even so, city officials are having the Mahoning County Board of Elections determine the validity of the signatures of about 1,700 people who signed petitions that were part of an effort to get the measure in front of voters.
For a charter amendment to get on the ballot, at least 1,216 signatures on petitions need to be valid.
However, votes taken Tuesday by council automatically put the proposal on the ballot regardless of the number of valid signatures.
Mayor John A. McNally said Wednesday that he asked the county board to count the signatures anyway.
“If you have 1,700 residents sign petitions, you want to verify the petitions and show you met the [minimum] number,” McNally said. “It shows it’s what voters want.”
What if not enough signatures are ruled valid?
“If not, you have the legislation” sponsored by Councilmen Mike Ray, D-4th, and Paul Drennen, D-5th, McNally said. “Either way, the issue will be on the ballot.”
On Tuesday, city council voted 6-1 on two ordinances with the same language regarding having the ward-reduction charter amendment on the Nov. 4 ballot.
One, sponsored by Ray and Drennen, had council back the amendment, which allows the issue on the ballot without the need for petitions.
The other, sponsored by McNally, permitted the board of elections to count signatures.
With Tuesday’s votes, the proposal automatically gets on the ballot, said Law Director Martin Hume.
At the request of McNally, board employees started counting signatures on the petitions Wednesday. The count should be done by Friday, said board Director Joyce Kale-Pesta.
The board will meet sometime next week to certify the proposal, she said.
If approved by voters, council would eliminate two of its seats. It would take effect with the 2015 election.
Under the proposal, council would have 30 days after the certification of the Nov. 4 ballot to redistrict from seven to five wards. If council failed to do so in that time, the mayor would have 14 days to redistrict.
After much delay, council voted Aug. 20 to redistrict the city to more evenly distribute population among its seven existing wards. It was the first redistricting of the wards in 30 years even though the city charter requires that it be done every 10 years based on census numbers.