Theresa has contacted the media by sending out this email after being told last year by the city attorney that she CANNOT circulate a petition for a city initiative or referendum. She is hoping the assistant city attorney, Danny Brown, will have a different opinion on the manner, especially since there doesn’t seem to be any state laws banning the practice.
There has also been some rumblings amongst cititizens that if the city council with the assistance of the mayor passes an amendment to raise the threshold for city councilors to be elected to 51% there would be a petition drive. The petition drive would also include numerous other charter amendments.
From Stehly;
Good Morning Danny,
I am requesting that your office give me a public statement on my legal right to circulate municipal petitions.
Please address :
- My right to circulate a Sioux Falls municipal citizen petition. (This could be an initiative, referendum or charter revision effort.)
- My right  to lead a Sioux Falls municipal citizen petition drive. (This could be an initiative, referendum of charter revision effort.)
I know of several City Council members who have participated in the circulating of municipal petitions in the past. We also have had our Minnehaha County Commissioners leading a petition drive. I am inspired by Mark Mickelson’s leadership of the statewide petition drive that is happening at this time.
I will be sharing this information with the public.
Thanks for your response,
Theresa Stehly
What do you think about an elected official running a petition drive? Personally I don’t take issue with it. I don’t agree with Mickelson’s petition, but I do think he has the right to circulate it.