Question 1:
Summary:
The proposed amendment would reduce the number of votes required to pass an initiative petition. If the amendment is adopted, an initiative petition would pass if 25% of the total number of registered voters voted in the affirmative and there were more affirmative votes than negative votes. Currently, an initiative petition is adopted if 33% of the total number of registered voters votes in the affirmative and there are more affirmative votes than negative votes.
A YES vote would reduce the requirement for passage of an initiative petition.
A NO vote would leave in place the present requirement for passage of an initiative petition.
John Robillard Response:
“Lowering the threshold of registered voters needed to pass an initiative petition from 33% to 25% is a step in the right direction, but still sets the bar too high. This, if passed, would still require 7,000 yes votes based on the city’s 28,000 registered voters. In the last election in 2009, there was only a 30% voter turnout of 8,508.
I would like to see the threshold set to a majority of those, who actually vote. In this case, it would require 4,255 yes votes to pass.”
RobillardNews 