The Marvin Referendum Petition
Our Village Charter Shouldn't Change Without Our Vote!
MARVIN DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY TO...
...PARTICIPATE in conversations over options
...CONTEMPLATE the impacts of any change
...CAST A VOTE in a citizen referendum
Our Village Charter Amid a Global Pandemic!
Without Providing a Citizen Referendum!
Yet, the Council Adopted Major Changes to
Sign the Petition to Take Back the Vote !
These Will Impact Our Village & Development
Who Are We?
We Are Citizens at Work!
We Are The Neighbors You Already Know!
The Marvin Referendum Petition Group is a group of over seventeen Marvin residents. In 2018 The group started forming at the August 30, 2018 Marvin Council meeting. This was the day the public hearing was held for the first City Charter Amendment the Marvin Council attempted, without a referendum.
After initial citizens began working on a referendum petition plan, other residents joined the effort. All of us, working together, helped spread the word and shared the workload! We collected over 800 signatures and our enthusiasm forced the Council to abandon their undemocratic efforts.
After promising to put future Charter Amendments to a referendum, we never imagined this Mayor & Council would attempt more massive Charter changes, without a referendum - especially in the middle of a global pandemic! It's worth considering that, it took only two votes on the Council to approve of these changes, while denying that same opportunity to hundreds of Marvin voters. There is a lot at stake, so our group decided to remain committed to shared civic values.
We'll continue guiding citizen efforts until officials duly respect the voice and vote of all Marvin citizens.
Stand With Us!
Marvin Referendum Petition 2020
We felt strongly the Marvin Council shouldn't simply change our Village Charter without properly engaging citizens and giving residents the ability to vote in a referendum.
Typically, governing officials will subject Charter amendments to a citizen referendum. When officials refuse to voluntarily call for a referendum, the law says citizens can petition and force the Council to place the referendum on the ballot. (§160A-102 - 160A-103)
Marvin Civics at Work!
We're working to collect petition signatures, from registered voters in Marvin. With a minimum number of signatures, we can force the Council to place their proposed Charter Amendment on the election ballot for a vote.
Every effort has been made to pool private resources and 'pitch in' for envelopes, paper and printing. All of the folding, labeling and deliveries have been accomplished with the help of committed Marvin citizens and volunteers. Thankfully, the Union County Board of Elections does not charge citizens for file, count, or process petitions. This has been a tremendous help.
This has been a true grassroots effort!
Thank you to everyone who has reached out to neighbors, hosted a dropbox, delivered petitions or coaxed family members to sign!
Make a Big Statement in favor of Democracy in our Little Village!
Sign and Submit the Referendum Petition!