PG Property Owner's Association Still Intends to Turn in Petitions

The Prince George’s Property Owner’s Association, Inc. plans to turn in two controversial referendum petitions, even though the deadline to get the proposed city charter amendments onto the November election ballot has passed.

“If they have to have a special election when we hand them in, then so be it,” Lisa Miller, president of the association said in an e-mail to Patch.

City Attorney Suellen Ferguson confirmed that if the petitions are turned in at this point, a special election must be held for the proposed amendments. One referendum advocates for a property tax cap, and the other the elimination of a distinction between types of property in the city.

As reported by Patch in April, Ferguson predicted grave impacts of such amendments on the city, and .

In order for proposed charter amendments to reach a ballot, 20 percent of qualified College Park voters must sign the petitions.

, she would not explain why the PGPOA did not turn in the petitions by the Monday, Aug. 1 deadline.

“We are not prepared to hand them in at this time,” she said in an interview, though indicating that PGPOA still intends to turn them in eventually.

The two petitions were met with opposition by city council last spring, which voted to take an official stance against them, spurring a debate of the function of democracy, .