We the people wish the City Council of Greenfield ensure citizen measures, both referendums and initiatives be the same process and the same number of signatures. This past November, the people voted on section 7-8 of the city charter, Citizen Referendums; voters clearly stated, “Don’t make it harder by mandating more signatures.”
Today, the people have the same message for section 7-7 of the charter, Citizen Initiatives: “Don’t make initiatives harder by mandating more signatures.” We want the same language as section 7-8 in section 7-7. We want the same process, and the same number of signatures.
Last November this very same question was proposed on the ballot as Question 1. This grievance was remedied in our last election with the majority of the people voting no on Question 1, sending a clear message: the people voted for more voice.
Why would some in this City Council take a position contrary to the people’s voice? Why would public officials who are voted into office, by the people and for the people, not understand or listen to the people they are supposed to represent? If they do not represent the people, then who are they representing?
We the People wish our representatives of government change the process of the Citizens Initiative in section 7-7 in the Greenfield City Charter to be the same as the Citizen’s Referendum in section 7-8. The people voted: we wish for more voice, not less voice.
We can all agree with the chairperson of the Charter Review Committee’s statement in the Recorder in June 2021, where he said, and I’m paraphrasing it, that the Citizen’s Referendum should have the same signature requirement as the Citizens Initiative. The only difference was the people didn’t agree with his numbers and voted no on Question 1. We wonder why the Appointments and Ordinance Committee wouldn’t heed to the recommendation of the chairperson of the Charter Review Committee. Instead, the Appointments and Ordinance Committee is recommending no change to section 7-7, they want the City Council to rubber stamp 977 signatures to get an initiative on the ballot versus 326 signatures as required by the referendum. The people don’t wish the initiative to require three times more signatures than referendums. We wish this City Council to do the work of the people when it comes to the Citizens Initiative agenda; simply put, the people’s wish is more voice, not less voice.
When I was running for City Council this past election, the number one question from constituents was: “What is your position on question 1?” My answer was: “Do you wish more voice, or less?” Their answer was always, “More, never less.” My response was, “That’s why I’m voting and supporting no on question 1. ”
The City Council meets next on Wednesday, March 16, and we urge councilors to send section 7-7 back to the Ordinances Committee and encourage them to make Citizen Initiatives the same as the Citizen Referendums, with the same process and number of required signatures. This would make the Citizen Initiative process simpler, and more understandable to voters. The Appointments and Ordinance Committee spent less than three minutes on the Citizen Initiative issue last meeting. There was no discussion, and no presentation of the emails the public sent the committee, nothing. The number one concern of the people when I was campaigning was, they felt no one was listening to them. They brought up two examples, the firehouse and library: no transparency. This is your opportunity to prove them wrong and show the people you are listening and understand what the people wish is more voice, not less voice.
I humbly ask my fellow people to reach out to the city councilors of Greenfield and let them know you wish more voice, not less voice in our local government in Greenfield. If the City Council rubber stamps section 7-7 with no language changes and a much higher signature requirement, then it means they don’t work for the people or missed the entire message of what voters confirmed last November. We want to be clear, what the Appointments and Ordinance Committee recommended does not give the people of Greenfield a better process or voice they would need to petition government. We deserve and wish for a better initiative ordinance. We want to believe someone in government listens to us, this is your turn to show us.
Mike Corona lives with his family in Greenfield. He ran as a write-in candidate for City Council in the last election.