The Bristol Village Board discussed, but then again tabled, action regarding a petition asking for a referendum on the size of the Village Board.
The petition, signed by 171 people and spearheaded by former village President Richard Gossling, asks for a vote on the size of the board. Earlier this year, the board voted to downsize from seven total members to five in a 4-to-2 vote.
The matter was tabled Aug. 22 so board members could study a legal opinion on the matter that village administrator Randy Kerkman had distributed to them just that day.
Trustee John McCabe motioned to table again on Monday, this time so that the board could be provided with copies of the petition. He said he had not seen the document yet.
“I’m not sure the petition actually exists,” McCabe said.
McCabe asked that the copies be made available before the next meeting. Village Clerk Amy Klemko said she would have copies to the board tomorrow.
Trustee Bill Glembocki, who voted against the smaller board size initiative, voted against tabling.
In answer to a question from McCabe, Kerkman said the board is not obligated to follow the request of the petition. It could not act on the request or schedule a non-binding or binding referendum.
This is an example of wasted time and delays. The citizens asked for a referendum, and the board is not listening to them. How many times do they have to travel over the same path? Adding a referendum will not result in additional costs because it would be voting added to the fall election ballot. This is a no-brainer unless there is a hidden agenda. WHY THE DELAYS?