By Matt Ward
A citizen petition seeking to restrict the transfer of enterprise fund reserves without voter approval was unanimously rejected by the Fredericksburg City Council, but the issue will still go before voters next May.
During their regular meeting Monday, council members voted against the petition, but moved to call a charter amendment election in May 2014 on the issue by a 3-2 vote with council members Kathy Sanford and Graham Pearson opposed.
“We decided that we don’t want the validity of the petition to be the issue,” Fredericksburg Mayor Jeryl Hoover said. “Maybe the merits of the charter amendment should be the issue.”
According to the petition, the charter amendment would prevent the city from using “proceeds or reserves from an Enterprise Fund (including but not limited to the Electric, Water and Sewer, Solid Waste, and Drainage funds) except for expenditures within the purpose of the fund unless approved by the voters in elections that specify the amount and the fund from which the money will be withdrawn.”
Per regulations, the council had the option of calling a special election in November on the amendment or postponing the vote until the next regular city election in May.
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