MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – An effort to force Morgantown’s camping ban ordinance to a referendum vote has come up short.
The city clerk has certified the petition “insufficient” because it did not include the required number of signatures. The city charter requires a petition to have valid signatures from at least ten percent of the qualified voters registered during the last regular city election. A press release from the city did not specify how many signatures were required or how many valid signatures were submitted.
City Council approved the camping ban on a 4-3 vote on Sept. 4. Activists opposed to the camping ban, immediately filed with the city clerk’s office to initiate the petition process.
Over the next 30 days, volunteers collected signatures and submitted the petition for review on Oct. 4.
According to the city charter, the petitioners now have two days to notify the city clerk if they intend to amend the petition. If they do, they will have ten days to file a supplementary petition with additional signatures. Petitioners could also request that city council review the certificate.
If the supplemental petition is determined to be sufficient, city council could vote to repeal the ordinance or it will be placed on the ballot as a referendum for voters to decide.