Mayors Alliance opposed to 60% ballot issue

The Ohio Mayors Alliance says requiring state issues to be approved by a supermajority of voters could make passing needed bond issues "significantly harder." Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn serves as a member of its board of directors. In a statement released earlier this month, the Mayors Alliance said it will oppose passage of a ballot issue in the August special election that would amend Ohio's constitution and require 60% majorities for passage of future state questions. Formed in 2016, the Ohio Mayors Alliance is a bipartisan coalition of mayors in the largest 30 cities by population. Other board members include Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan, Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone, Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, Lancaster Mayor David Scheffler, Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter and Youngstown Mayor Tito Brown. The Mayors Alliance said Ohio communities benefit from voter-approved bond issues, which have helped build schools and infrastructure and can be used to initiate economic development. The Alliance called the state Legislature's decision to pursue the change hasty, and "advanced without full consideration of the unintended consequences." The organization also said the special election will be expensive, estimated at $20 million, and will likely garner very low voter participation. "I agree with the statement that was released by the Ohio Mayors Alliance Board," said Muryn. "Though I understand the concerns and motivations of holding the special election I believe that it is not the proper way to conduct business. Within the past year, the Ohio General Assembly opposed holding special elections because of low turnout, cost and precedent that it sets." Senate Joint Resolution 2, approved last week in Ohio House and Ohio Senate votes, sets an Aug. 8 date for a ballot issue that would require a 60% majority for passage of future state questions, including a proposed state question in November that seeks to put abortion rights in the state constitution. Local lawmakers who voted for the measure included state Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon; state Rep. Jon Cross, R-Kenton; state Rep. Riordan McClain, R-Upper Sandusky; state Rep. D.J. Swearingen, R-Huron; state Rep. Gary Click, R-Vickery; state Rep. Dick Stein, R-Norwalk; state Sen. Theresa Gavarone, R-Bowling Green; and state Sen. Bill Reineke, R-Tiffin. On Friday, One Person, One Vote, an Ohio group, filed a lawsuit at the Ohio Supreme Court against Secretary of State Frank LaRose, asking the court to block the August election and claiming the planned election is illegal. The lawsuit states that the election is illegal because statewide August votes were abolished by the Ohio General Assembly only a few months ago. It also states that August elections historically have a low turnout and that supporters of the supermajority proposal are trying to take advantage of that fact. The lawsuit claims that the Ohio Supreme Court must intervene to uphold the rule of law.