Official: 'Sanctuary city' petition withdrawn

CELINA - A petition to make Celina a sanctuary city for the unborn by banning abortions has been withdrawn after an initial attempt to get it on the November general election ballot.

During city council's Monday evening meeting, Celina auditor Brooke Shinn mentioned the city received notice of a petition for a proposed ordinance to become a "sanctuary city for the unborn" on Friday.

On Tuesday, Mercer County Board of Elections Director Kristy Rable said the petition was filed on July 18 and has since been withdrawn. No reason was given for its withdrawal.

Mayor Jeffrey Hazel during the Monday meeting explained the proposed initiative, if enough qualifying signatures were gathered, would be presented to citizens on the Nov. 8 ballot.

"That (ordinance legislation) does not come to council. It is a citizen led initiative," Hazel said. "They informed us they are in the process of collecting the necessary signatures to get it on the Nov. 8 ballot. It's an ordinance that will be voted on in the democratic process by the electorate of Celina."

The ordinance petition was filed by Michael Spencer, Sarah Bellman, Thomas Sanford, Ashley Driggs, Matthew Gray and Racquel Colobong.

If the ordinance were to be passed by voters, it would ban performing elective abortions at any stage of pregnancy in Celina and prohibit Celina residents from aiding elective abortions. The petition stipulated those who seek or receive an abortion would not be subject to persecution or penalties.

The withdrawn petition comes after the U.S. Supreme Court on June 24 overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that had provided a constitutional right to abortion.

It's also the second time such a measure has made its way to the council chambers. Council members in November voted 4-3 against legislation making Celina a sanctuary city for the unborn and effectively outlawing abortion in the city.

The ordinance was officially defeated after three public readings with councilors June Scott, Eric Lochtefeld, Myron Buxton and Mike Sovinski all voting against the legislation and councilors Mark Fleck, Eric Baltzell and Eric Clausen voting in favor of it.

It's unclear if the petitioners will refile to get the proposed ordinance in front of voters. If so, they now have less than two weeks to meet the filing deadline in order for the issue to be placed on the general election ballot.

According to the Ohio Secretary of State's website, local questions and issues and nominating petitions for candidates in nonpartisan races must be filed with local boards of elections by Aug. 10, which is 90 days prior to the general election.