Greenfield voters decided last November not to increase the number of signatures required to initiate a citizens referendum. I understood this electoral decision to mean that there was not a good reason to make the process more difficult when voters disagree with a decision of the City Council or the School Committee.
The city charter, in Section 7-7, provides another citizens tool, the citizens initiative. Unlike a referendum, a citizens initiative is a process to introduce an idea the City Council or the School Committee has not discussed or decided, essentially a new idea. However, the current process for a citizens initiative is more cumbersome than the referendum process.
Why not align the two citizens’ tools provided in the city charter?
The voters spoke last November and for a citizens referendum maintained a required signature number based on 10% of the total number of voters voting in the most recent biennial town election but not less than 2.5% of all registered voters as of the same date. The citizens initiative required signature number should be based on the same process and requirements. This is more straightforward and encourages voter participation. In a democracy, this is a desirable outcome.
Mary Siano
Greenfield