More than half of the Metro Council took a symbolic stand against the English-only charter amendment last night, by refusing to vote to fund the special election.
By law, the Metro Council has to approve funding for special elections, so 21 members abstained in a show of unity against the referendum. Abstaining doesn’t count as a ‘no’ vote though one member, Jerry Maynard, did vote against it. The measure passed with 18 members voting for it.
The special election for the amendment requiring all government communications to be in English will cost $278,000. Many Council members voiced concern about spending the money when Davison County’s budget is already stretched. But others like Sam Coleman acknowledged that the Council can’t stand in the way of the referendum process.
“But when people have a right to go to the ballot box and exercise the most fundamental process in the country, I don’t think it’s right for us to deny.”
Referendum sponsor Eric Crafton pointed out last night that if the Mayor’s office hadn’t challenged the charter amendment on a technicality, it would have been on the November ballot.
Also on the January ticket is another charter amendment proposal that would make it easier to get subsequent amendments to the voting booth.
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