MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- A petition drive with a goal of forcing the downtown Milwaukee streetcar project to a referendum fell about 6,000 signatures short, according to the Milwaukee Business Journal. The Business Journal reports the group that organized the petition drive plans to start over in May.
Citizens for Responsible Government has led the petition drive and referendum effort. A CRG representative told the Business Journal they would have about 25,000 signatures by their deadline Wednesday, March 4th. They needed 31,000 to force a voter referendum that could create a new city law that would require a subsequent referendum on the streetcar project.
City law allows 60 days to collect voter signatures for such efforts, and those 60 days are up March 5th, according to the Business Journal.
The Business Journal reports the group had a meeting Wednesday night with its top petitioners, and the decision was made to start over with a new 60-day petition drive in early May on the streetcar referendum.
The petition specifically will ask voters to approve a law requiring approval via a referendum to start construction on a city rail transit project worth at least $20 million.
The Business Journal reports that may raise a legal issue. City attorneys have questioned whether the petition applies to the first segment of the streetcar because it already has been approved. That could wind up in court if a petition is successful and submitted to the city before streetcar construction begins.
A CRG representative tells the Business Journal a successful referendum would affect any future attempts to expand the streetcar system.
City officials on Feb. 10 approved the $123.9 million downtown streetcar system.
READ IT: Alderman Bob Donovan thanks streetcar petition circulators for their efforts.
CLICK HERE for more on this story via the Milwaukee Business Journal.
CLICK HERE for further coverage of the streetcar project via FOX6Now.com.