Save Vancouver Streets hoping a judge will order the city to put its initiative on the ballot for the next general election

Save Vancouver Streets vowed to keep fighting, and on Thursday, Save Vancouver Streets proved that by filing a suit in an effort to get its initiative on the ballot for the next general election.

The city of Vancouver declared an initiative petition “invalid” on Jan. 6 and refused to send it to the next general election. Save Vancouver Streets announced Thursday that it had filed suit to move its petition forward.

“This measure has received strong support from registered voters here in our city,” said Justin Wood, committee member of SVS. “They have a fundamental right to have their voices heard at the ballot box. Regardless of whether they agree with the policy, city officials should follow the process laid out in their charter.”

SVS officials say by their understanding of the charter, the city must adopt the petition or reject it, and then send it to the next general election.

“If they refuse, the only remedies left is for the court to order the city to follow its charter and for the county auditor to place it on the ballot,” Wood said.

Jackson Maynard, attorney for SVS, said the lawsuit seeks to have the court order the city council to consider the measure as required under the city charter or have the Clark County auditor put it on the ballot.

The initiative requires a vote on whether the city can eliminate driving lanes on city streets. More than 6,500 Vancouver residents signed the initiative.

In 2017, the city council passed a “Complete Streets” program with the goal of increasing safe mobility for all users. 

Save Vancouver Streets described that goal as “vague” and seven years later, Vancouver residents along Southeast 34th Street, McGillivray Boulevard, 112th Avenue, Mill Plain, Andresen and others are finding out that the vague goal is resulting in vehicle lane removal without the opportunity to say no. 

On Jan. 6, the city council held a public hearing on the initiative. Instead of either passing the measure or rejecting it, the council took no action, and the city clerk refused to send the initiative to the next general election. 

“I must advise you not to proceed with action on the petition,” said City Manager Lon Pluckhahn during the Jan. 6 city council meeting and public hearing on the initiative. “If I advised otherwise, it would be asking City Council to proceed with an action that the best information tells me is illegal. … To move forward with the initiative as it was presented is a significant risk to the city.”

Save Vancouver Streets disagrees.

The lawsuit seeks a declaratory judgment and petition for mandamus (which is a suit ordering the city to follow the law) finding that the city failed to follow the process laid out in its charter. The suit asks the court to either have the city follow its process or consider the city council’s failure to act on the measure to be a rejection, which would permit the initiative to proceed to the ballot.

For more information on Save Vancouver Streets, go to: https://www.savevancouverstreets.com/