Signatures so far: 1,900. Signatures needed: 1,500.
Organizers of a petition drive to reverse the Aberdeen City Council?s decision to annex more than 500 acres into the city say they have achieved more than the required number of signatures to get the question put on a voter referendum.
Getting at least the required number of signatures validated, representing 20 percent of Aberdeen?s registered voters, will be the next hurdle.
Charles Wallace, one of the petition drive?s organizers, said he fears “dirty, cheap tricks” from the Aberdeen government and Board of Elections. He said at a meeting with county officials this week, that he learned one potential maneuver could involve getting an entire page of signatures ruled invalid because of a single invalid signature.
County Executive David Craig told Wallace about this possibility based on a decision the state Board of Elections made with petitions on another issue earlier this year, confirmed Roxanne Lynch, a county spokeswoman who attended their meeting.
But Aberdeen City Council President Ron Kupferman doesn?t believe that will happen.
“[Board of election members] sit down with a registered voters? list, and if the person?s signature is valid, then it stays,” Kupferman said. “If not, it is stricken from the list. It?s that simple.”
However, the City Council is responsible for appointments to the Aberdeen Board of Elections, creating a possible conflict of interest in the eyes of some of the petition drive?s organizers. They think the Harford County Board of Elections should be asked to validate the petitions.
The goal is to get 2,300 signatures ? about a third of the city?s registered voters ? by the first week of August, said Wallace, whose own signature would not be valid, because he?s registered in Harford County, but not Aberdeen. However, he lives near some of the property that would be annexed into the city and believes his quality of life would be impacted by the accompanying development.
By state law, the county has no power over the annexation proceedings, despite many outcries by Aberdeen residents for intervention, said Harford County Councilman Richard C. Slutzky.
If the annexation stands, Aberdeen?s plans to make the agricultural area residential might clash with the county?s zoning, and the county would have to sign a waiver, or Aberdeen would have to wait five years to develop the area, Slutzky said.
“My position from the beginning is that the annexation process needs to be open, true and complete in providing the city residents an opportunity to participate in the process,” Slutzky said. “There seems to be some discontent as to if that?s going on.”
He said his biggest concern was how informed residents were to make good decisions on the issue.
“I?m hopeful the process improves so it?s satisfactory to the people with concerns.”
