A petition drive aimed at blocking an affordable housing development in Surprised was denied after it failed requirements under state law.
Surprise City Clerk Sherry Aguilar informed the Voice of Surprise group in an email and letter Oct. 5 that its petition drive to create a voter referendum on the Truman Ranch Marketplace affordable housing project was rejected for one non-compliance with the procedures detailed in Arizona Revised Statutes.
An Arizona city clerk’s procedure for reviewing referendum petitions is ministerial duty imposed by the state law. Because of that specific language, the clerk has no legal authority or discretion to overlook or disregard a failure to strictly comply with the legal requirements for referenda in Arizona.
