Title
Adopting the report of Ramsey County Elections finding that the petition for an initiative to adopt Chapter 193A of the Legislative Code is sufficient.
Body
WHEREAS, Saint Paul City Charter Section 8.01 states that “[t]he people shall have the right to … propose ordinance… by a process known as … initiative”; and
WHEREAS, a petition seeking an initiative to adopt Chapter 193A of the Saint Paul Legislative Code to regulate coordinated collection adopt a Rent Stabilization ordinance was filed with the Office of the City Clerk on June 22, 2021 (the “Petition”); and
WHEREAS, City Charter Chapter 8 requires a petition for an initiative to be signed by registered voters equal in number to eight (8) percent of those who voted for the office of mayor in the last preceding city election; and
WHEREAS, the last preceding city election was held November 7, 2017; and
WHEREAS, according to the Ramsey County Elections Manager, there were 61,646 first choice votes cast for Mayor in the 2017 election, meaning that the required number of signatures for the Petition is 4,958; and
WHEREAS, the Ramsey County Elections Manager, who supervises elections on behalf of the City, has reported to the Council that Petition signatures have been checked for compliance with the requirements of Chapter 8 of the Saint Paul City Charter; and
WHEREAS, the Ramsey County Elections Manager reports that the Petition contains 5,592 total signatures, and that 5,592 of those comply with the Charter’s requirements; and
WHEREAS, upon advice of the City Attorney, there are no legal deficiencies with the petition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, that the City Council hereby adopts the report of the Ramsey County Elections Manager and finds that the Petition for an initiative to adopt Chapter 193A is sufficient to satisfy the minimum signature requirements under City Charter Chapter 8; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED that the Council requests that City Attorney draft a title and ballot language for the Council’s consideration.