Groundwork Begins to Put St. Cloud Referendum on November Ballot

ST. CLOUD -- Work to put a referendum question on the November ballot is now underway. John Palmer of St. Cloud says he and his supporters will begin collecting signatures as soon as next week.

St. Cloud City Administrator Matt Staehling says, according to the city charter, they will need to collect over 2,000 signatures.

In order for a petition to move forward, it must have at least five percent of the number of voters in the last general election.  In this case, that number would be 2,045 signatures of registered voters in the city of St. Cloud.

Staehling says, once they have the necessary signatures, the petition goes to the city clerk who will have 30 days to review it and verify those signatures.

The next stop would be a public hearing with the city council, at which time the council could either approve what the petition says or deny it which would then put it on the November ballot.

Palmer says the petition is calling for a temporary suspension of refugee resettlement until the Refugee Act of 1980 is reformed by Congress.

Palmer says he and his supporters will then be asking all candidates running for St. Cloud City Council and Stearns County Commissioners their position on the ballot question. Palmer says the goal is to elect local officials who will put more pressure on Congress to reform the legislation.