Cd'A council considers referendums, initiatives

COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene City Council will vote tonight on eliminating the section of city code that regulates referendums and initiatives.

City Attorney Warren Wilson told The Press that his office recommended removing the city code because legislation signed into law by Gov. Butch Otter overrides city regulations beginning July 1. The legislation, House Bill 216, establishes statewide guidelines for how cities and other applicable entities handle referendums and initiatives.

"Regardless of what the city council does, come July 1 the state has said it's stricken," Wilson said. "We're taking it out of our code book so it's not confusing."

Since signatures from 20 percent of registered voters in the city need to be submitted by April 30 to put an initiative or referendum on the ballot, Wilson said the law is essentially already in effect.

The most substantial change to the code is that referendums and initiatives can only be brought to the public on odd-numbered years. Wilson added that processing of ballot measures did not change.

"You'll still be working with the same people you worked with before," he said. "We'll just be working with a different playbook."