Opinion ID: 1824320
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: airports or landing fields

Text: BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WESSINGTON SPRINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City of Wessington Springs shall not acquire, establish, construct, own, control, lease, equip, improve, maintain, operate, or regulate any airports or landing fields for the use of airplanes or other aircraft within or without the corporate limits of the City of Wessington Springs, South Dakota. SECTION 2. The grass landing strip the City of Wessington Springs has long had an interest in may continue to be used in the same manner as it has in the past, but it is otherwise subject to Section 1. City rejected the petition as beyond the proper scope for initiated action. Christensen sought a writ of mandamus to compel a public vote on the proposed ordinance. The trial court denied Christensen's request, holding that the initiated measure would impermissibly abrogate legislative power given to the city by state statute. On November 1, 1993, Christensen submitted a new initiated measure to the city finance officer, which stated: AIRPORTS OR LANDING FIELDS BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WESSINGTON SPRINGS, SOUTH DAKOTA, AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. The City of Wessington Springs, recognizing the discretionary authority granted in SDCL 50-7-2, hereby elects to cease any and all activities relating to the acquisition, establishment, or construction of a new airport facility or landing field, for a term and period of one (1) year from the date this Ordinance takes effect, in accordance with SDCL 9-20-17. SECTION 2. This Ordinance is specifically not intended to abrogate any State Statute. City rejected the petition as beyond the proper scope of the initiative process. Christensen sought a writ of mandamus to force the initiative to a public vote. The trial court granted the request for writ of mandamus, holding that the initiated measure only sought to delay implementation of legislative power granted to the city and did not abrogate the power itself. City appeals.