In July of 2016 the Evansville City Council introduced an ordinance regarding the operating procedures of the Council itself which were widely open to interpretation. The ordinance, then called G-2016-21, introduced language that many believed could have infringed upon the citizen’s Constitutional right to free speech.
The verbiage of the proposed ordinance could easily have allowed the presiding officer of the council to deny any petitioner, remonstrator, or any civilian speaker the right to speak at the podium and to address the Council unless the Council voted to allow the person to speak.
This possible infringement stirred up several groups of people who were concerned with its passing, and Room 301 of the Civic Center was filled with The People who were ready to challenge the amendment. The meeting was intense and even turned into a boisterous cheer as each of the points of obscure language were addressed.
Evansville City Council Vice President Justin Elpers (Ward 5)
After the Council meeting, on the following day, two Council Officers took to social media, accusing the public of “grandstanding” and being “power-hungry” while they hoped to pass an ordinance which referenced their council seats as “dais” which could be interpreted as “thrones.”
As the VIP caught wind of this, we published an article which revealed that The People were perfectly within their rights to challenge the ordinance, its wording, and its possible intent.
After the ordinance proposal had been tabled for further discussion and extensive editing, the people requested that an itemized list of certain changes would be made before re-introducing the ordinance as a common procedure for the Council.
City Council Vice President, Justin Elpers and Council Woman, Anna Hargis worked hard, and for several months to accommodate the requests of The People until an acceptable amendment was accomplished in G-2017-3.
Evansville City Council Woman Anna Hargis (Ward 3)
Every… Single… Request… was honored in the newly proposed and amended ordinance. The Voice of the People was heard.
Thank you, Justin Elpers and Anna Hargis for listening to a constituency who has widely felt unheard and unrepresented by city officials. And thank you for all of your hard work.
For those of you who think that you can do little or nothing to change the direction of the local government, know this; that we have made a difference… and so can you.
The next City Council meeting will be Monday, March 20th at 5:30 in Room 301 of the Civic Center.
