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Home   >   News   >   Local News   >   On-Line Petition to Force Franchise Fee Vote Gaining Momentum, but Election May Have to Wait til August

On-Line Petition to Force Franchise Fee Vote Gaining Momentum, but Election May Have to Wait til August

By on March 21, 2013
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IT APPEARS THAT THE FUTURE OF BURLINGTON’S PROPOSED, THREE PERCENT FRANCHISE FEE WILL HINGE ON A DIRECT VOTE OF THE PEOPLE.  THE QUESTION IS “WHEN?”

AS OF 1 O’CLOCK THIS(THUR) AFTERNOON, THERE WERE 246 SIGNATURES ON AN ON-LINE PETITION, CALLING FOR THE ISSUE TO BE PUT ON A SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT.   CITY RESIDENTS WHO WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE NEED TO COLLECT 298 VALID SIGNATURES BY TODAY(THUR) TO FORCE THE VOTE ON MAY 7TH…AND DES MOINES COUNTY AUDITOR CAROL COPELAND SAYS THE NEXT AVAILABLE DATE WOULD BE AUGUST 6TH…AND AFTER THAT, NOVEMBER 5TH.  

BURLINGTON CITY ATTORNEY SCOTT POWER SAYS THE ON-LINE PETITION METHOD IS VALID, AS IT IS COVERED BY IOWA STATE CODE.     WE’RE NOT YET AWARE OF ANY PAPER PETITIONS BEING CIRCULATED, BUT THAT TOO IS A LEGAL METHOD FOR COLLECTING SIGNATURES.