The ordinance that prohibits the sale of adult-use, recreational marijuana in the the city of Bellefontaine will remain in effect as the petition to overturn measure did not receive enough valid signatures to place the legislation before Bellefontaine voters in the November election.
The Logan County Board of Elections confirmed that of the 437 signatures that were returned on the petition, only 317 were valid, making it 120 signatures short of the 357 needed to place the referendum on the November ballot. Reasons given for why many of the signatures were rejected were the that addresses on the petition did not match the the addresses that are on file with the BOE, a number were from unregistered voters, signatures were received by people who do not live within the city limits, and 10 of the signatures were illegible or printed rather than signed.
Ohio law states that at least 10 percent of the number of voters in Bellefontaine who cast ballots in the most recent gubernatorial election were needed for the ordinance to be placed on the before voters in the city.
Having failed to receive the minimum number of valid signatures, the four-person Board of Elections rejected the petition earlier this week and the ordinance banning the sale of marijuana in the city limits will remain on the books.
The Bellefontaine City Council passed the prohibition on the sale of adult-use, recreational in the city at its March 11 meeting by a 4-1 vote, with council member MacKenzie Fitzpatrick casting the lone “no” note on the ban.
