MORGANTOWN — More than 1,000 of the signatures collected in an effort to overturn Morgantown’s camping ban could not be verified by the city.
According to the city, more than 2,000 signatures were submitted and 956 were deemed valid.
In a press release issued at 11:57 p.m. Wednesday, the city declared the petition “insufficient,” explaining, “it did not include the required number of valid signatures from at least 10 percent of the total number of qualified voters registered during the last regular city election.”
So, what is that number?
On Thursday morning, Morgantown Communications Director Brad Riffee told The Dominion Post the petitioners needed 1,348 valid signatures. Hours later, Riffee said the number of valid signatures required is actually 1,310.
“The Monongalia County Clerk provides voter registration records to the city clerk in January of each city election year, and the county clerk records showed 13,487 registered voters in Morgantown as of January 2023. However, the county clerk provided updated records showing 13,094 registered voters in Morgantown as of April 2023 when the regular city election was conducted,” he said.
Either way, the petition is short for now.
Signatures can be found invalid if the signatory is not a qualified registered city voter, the signature or name is illegible or doesn’t match West Virginia Secretary of State records, or residency information is in question. Any duplicate signatures are also considered invalid.
By law, the petitioners have two days to file to amend the petition, which starts a 10-day window during which additional signatures can be obtained.
The Dominion Post reached out to representatives of Morgantown Coalition for Housing Action (MoCHA) to ask if the group intends to take that action, but did not receive a response in time for this report.
After months of packed council meetings and, at times, confrontational discourse, the camping ban ordinance was adopted on a 4-3 vote in the early morning hours of Sept. 4. The vote was the main event of a seven-hour Morgantown City Council meeting.
The following day, a committee of petitioners initiated the process of repealing the law by petition.
On Oct. 3, MoCHA turned its collected signatures over to the city clerk’s office. Wednesday marked the 20-day deadline by which the city had to respond.
Councilor Louise Michael, who touched off the entire episode with comments in support of a camping ban at the end of council’s July 2 meeting, said she’s grateful to City Clerk Christine Wade for her efforts throughout this process.
“In recent years, it has become clear that our city needed to address the challenges faced by the unsheltered community. It is essential for the safety and well-being of all residents in our city and county that we take action,” Michael explained in a statement provided to the press. “I view the camping ban as an important first step in guiding unhoused individuals toward the right resources, whether that involves shelter or drug rehabilitation and recovery services.”
As per the referendum process spelled out in the city code, the camping ban ordinance has been suspended from taking effect while the process plays out.
Riffee said the suspension will stay in place until a certificate of insufficiency is presented to Morgantown City Council.
Should the petitioners continue the effort and ultimately obtain the 1,310 verified signatures, city council would be mandated to “promptly” reconsider the ordinance by voting on its repeal.
If council failed to repeal the ordinance within 30 days after the petition is deemed valid, the issue would go before the city’s voters.
