Opinion ID: 2506328
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Stop Rail's Petition

Text: The relevant facts are not in dispute, except perhaps with respect to the nature and/or degree of the harm that would be suffered by the parties and the public upon the granting or denial of the ICA Motion. On August 4, 2008, Stop Rail submitted to the City Clerk a Petition for Proposed Ordinance by Initiative (Petition), purportedly signed by over 49,000 registered voters of the City and County of Honolulu (Honolulu), which stated in relevant part: PETITION FOR PROPOSED ORDINANCE BY INITIATIVE Honolulu mass transit shall not include trains or rail transit. The following question is being submitted to the People of the City and County of Honolulu to be voted upon at a special election: SHALL AN ORDINANCE BE ADOPTED TO PROHIBIT TRAINS AND RAIL TRANSIT IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU? WE, THE UNDERSIGNED, AS DULY REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU, WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CONTENT OF THIS PETITION, PROPOSE AN ORDINANCE SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE MANNER SET FORTH: 1. TO PROHIBIT THE USE OF TRAINS OR RAIL TRANSIT IN ANY MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM WITHIN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF HONOLULU; AND 2. TO BE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON APPROVAL. After examining the Petition, the City Clerk informed Stop Rail that she could not accept a petition for a special election at that time because the Revised Charter of the City and County of Honolulu (2000 Ed. & Supp. 2003) [1] (Charter) did not permit the holding of an initiative special election within 180 days of a general election. The Petition was removed from the City Clerk's office without a determination of the number of valid signatures it contained.