Jackson city council member Dan Greer is criticizing the city clerk for mishandling petition signatures that caused a petition challenging the city of Jackson’s non-discrimination ordinance to be invalidated.
Last week, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wilson ordered Jackson city clerk Randy Wrozek to invalidate petitions that had been blocking the city’s civil rights ordinance.
Greer says people in Jackson were “disenfranchised” by Wrozek because he notarized petitions after they were officially filed. According to Greer, the city of Jackson couldn’t defend putting the petition on the ballot because of Wrozek’s mistakes. Greer says the city had no choice but to agree to invalidate all the petition signatures in court, calling it a “loser of a case.”
Even though Greer voted in favor of the non-discrimination ordinance, he said he sympathized with people who were trying to challenge the ordinance. Because 30 days have now passed since the non-discrimination order was officially changed, it can no longer be petitioned.
“I feel horrible,” Greer said. “I feel like the clerk could have taken greater caution to make sure their right to referendum was preserved and this made it to the ballot."
Petitioners had been attempting to put the city’s non-discrimination ordinance on the ballot for a public vote. On February 8th, city council voted 5-2 to expand the ordinance to include protections for LGBT people against discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations .
Wrozek was not immediately available for comment in time for publication.
Greer says he wants to bring Wrozek’s job performance up for discussion at the next city council meeting April 25th. According to Greer, it requires two council members to add an item to the council’s agenda.
Greer wouldn’t name who on the council might endorse his effort to re-evaluate Wrozek’s performance as clerk, but indicated that he had support.
At a council meeting on March 28, Greer says he seconded a motion by council member Derek Dobies to appoint City Manager Patrick Burch as temporary city clerk, but the motion was withdrawn.
Greer says Wrozek “is well respected in the community,” and that he’s only concerned with Wrozek’s job performance as city clerk.
The non-discrimination ordinance went into effect April 11th.
