PRAIRIE VILLAGE, Kan. — No matter what a Kansas judge decides, three Prairie Village petitions to shake up City Hall won’t be on the November ballot.
The Johnson County Election Office said the petitions didn’t meet the county’s deadline to become ballot questions for the upcoming election.
But there’s still a chance they could go up for a vote in other elections.
PV United, a group of Prairie Village residents against proposed zoning changes, collected signatures for three petitions:
- One petition called for a city ordinance to limit rezoning that would allow more than one family to live on a lot in a single-family residential zoning district.
- The second petition sought to abandon the city’s current mayor-council form of government.
- The third petition called to adopt a mayor-manager-council form of government. It would reduce the power of the mayor by creating a city manager position and cut the number of city council members from 12 to six.
The Johnson County Election Commissioner verified the petitions had enough valid signatures, but the city council asked a Kansas court to decide if the petitions comply with state law.
“We respect the petition process, but it’s important that it be done properly and it be done in compliance with Kansas law,” Prairie Village City Attorney Joe Hatley said. “And we actually we took the initiative to have a judge make that decision here rather than letting them sue us.”
A Johnson County judge initially ruled only one of the three petitions — the one calling for a new form of government — complied with state law.
But later that day, the judge spoke with attorneys from for the city of Prairie Village and PV United. The city said, instead, the judge plans to take more time to consider her ruling and release a more in-depth decision.
With the decision delayed, the Johnson County Election Office said Friday it is already one week past its ballot deadline.
“Due to logistics required to prepare ballots and the need to meet legally mandated deadlines, the election office is now past the point at which it can accept additional items for the November ballot,” election officials said in a statement.
The election office said the deadline is in place to make sure it can proof ballots, program and test voting machines, print advance ballots and more.
Still, the Johnson County Election Office noted any valid Prairie Village petitions could go on the ballot for a future election.
But it’s not clear when the judge plans to release her decision on the legality of the three petitions.
