The City of Austin Charter Commission, appointed by the City Council, is advancing a proposal to increase the signature requirements for voter-initiated ordinances and council recalls. The Save Our Springs Alliance warns that if voters approve this measure in November 2024, it would curtail the existing rights of direct democracy in Austin.
According to a press release by Save Our Springs Alliance, initiating an ordinance currently requires collecting 20,000 signatures from qualified voters. The alliance stated, "This is not an easy task." It further noted that "There have been few citizen initiated ordinances to earn a place on the ballot -- and fewer still that have won voter approval."
The Charter Commission is also contemplating raising the signature requirements for petitions aimed at recalling city council members. At present, this necessitates signatures from 10% of qualified voters in a specific council district - a task which has seen no successful recall petitions in recent memory. The alliance members argued in their release that "Council Members seeking to evade accountability are pushing for these changes. Although rare, a meaningful right to petition for a recall is an important right that should not be rendered meaningless by raising the signature requirement from its current high bar."
According to members of Save Our Springs Alliance, the proposed changes "lack practical merit" and could potentially undermine the democratic process. They pointed out that key initiatives such as the Save Our Springs Initiative and the 10-1 Geographic Representation began as grassroots efforts with "transformative impacts on city policies." The alliance asserted that these current proposals could be perceived as attempts to bypass public efforts.
As reported by Austin Monitor, one rationale behind this proposed rule change is to bring more transparency into the petition process. Currently, signatories' identities remain confidential until all signatures are gathered and submitted to the city clerk for validation. The new proposal would also provide more information about the petition campaign to the city clerk.
According to its website, Save Our Springs Alliance is an Austin-based organization committed to safeguarding Barton Springs and the Edwards Aquifer. Established in 1992, it has grown steadily over the years.