Politics
South Bank Referendum Guide Sets Signature Thresholds Against Peer City Benchmarks
South Bank residents filing petitions for November ballot measures must gather signatures from 8 percent of registered voters, a higher bar than the 6 percent level applied in Riverdale and the 5 percent standard in Elmwood under their respective local ordinances.
How we reported this
The South Bank City Clerk's office issued the official 2026 Ballot Measure and Referendum Guide on July 8, detailing three measures that will appear on the November local ballot and specifying petition rules that differ from those in comparable municipalities. The guide covers a proposed property tax adjustment for library operations, a parks maintenance levy, and a transit route expansion, each requiring separate signature drives before qualifying for the ballot.
Release of the guide follows the city council's adoption of the updated Referendum Procedures Act in late 2025, which expanded the topics residents can place before voters while retaining the existing signature threshold. The legislation states that petitions must be submitted by September 1 to allow verification ahead of ballot printing.
Residents seeking to advance the library funding measure, for example, will collect signatures at the main branch on Market Street and at pop-up tables in the West End neighborhood, where daily library visits average 420. Approval would shift $1.2 million from the general fund to cover extended hours at three branches, directly affecting after-school programs used by 1,800 children each week.
Signature rules compared with other cities
Under the South Bank ordinance the petition requirement equals 8 percent of the 62,400 registered voters, or 4,992 signatures. Riverdale requires 6 percent and Elmwood requires 5 percent for equivalent local measures, according to the cross-city table included in the guide. The higher threshold means South Bank organizers must reach more households in the same 90-day window.
The city's 2026 budget paper lists $4.8 million for library services and $2.1 million for parks maintenance, figures that would change if either levy passes. Analysts at the local budget office project that passage of the parks measure would add $18 annually to the median residential property tax bill.
Signature verification begins September 2, with the clerk's office required to report results by September 20. Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters on October 15, and the government says certification of outcomes will occur no later than December 1.