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City Clerk Barb Elvert last week issued her findings after reviewing the petition submitted by We the People of Prairie du Chien, a group opposed to three roundabouts planned for the city’s main road.
Elvert disqualified the referendum petition, noting that the proposed ordinance - “There shall be no roundabouts on Marquette Road” - was not in proper format and is “not a proper subject for direct legal legislation,” according to the city attorney.
Clem Wachuta, president of We the People, said the group is “looking into challenging the legal technicalities” and blamed the common council and a pro-roundabout organization for ignoring popular opinion.
“This council and all of their lawyers have been very consistent in ignoring, refusing, denying what the citizens of the town overwhelmingly want,” Wachuta said today. “It’s not the way democracy is supposed to work. City Council and this group seem to have a deadlock on running this town without regard to what 90 percent of what the people want.”
We the People has until Monday to correct the petition but cannot change the wording of the proposed ordinance without gathering new signatures. The original petition submitted Aug. 1 had more than twice the 300 signatures required.
