city centre airport petition invalid.

Clearly, the petition is de jure invalid, and City Council would be within its rights NOT to put the question on the ballet. However, I’m not so sure about the de facto status of the petition, and I believe Council is still going to have to address it.

Council will have to step carefully, especially those Councillors who seek re-election this fall. Even if the number of signatures fell short of the required number, and the petition fell outside of the required time lines (I have a hard time believing that the Envision Edmonton people were unaware of this!), there is still “significant” support for a vote on the issue. It’s going to be far too easy for the EE people to paint the legalistic decision as “undemocratic”, and also paint current Councillors with the same brush.

The best move, in my opinion, would be for Council to put the question on the ballot anyway, and then campaign in support of their decision. That would appear open and transparent and democratic, and steal the thunder of EE.

Personally, I WANT the question on the ballot, so that I can vote AGAINST it. I’m sick of the “old boys (and girls)” of Edmonton’s tired “establishment” economic elite holding the city back from much needed change only because their small minority of interests MAY be adversely affected.