Ballots go out today for an election that is set up to be the city’s most controversial in years. County Clerk Julie Heck says, “She expects to mail 2,300 ballots. The vote was forced by a petition effort organized by commissioner Jody Cole opposing a plan by commissioners Brigette Brecheisen-Huss and Greg Gwin that aimed to adopt changes to the city’s charter to add two new commissioners to the present three-member body. That idea was boosted by approval by voters in an advisory election last fall, which was placed on the ballot at Huss’s insistence. It’s estimated the mail ballot will cost the city $7,500, as well as additional costs of litigation, should the city be sued over what city attorney Terry Colander described as an action that goes against the Kansas Constitution. The deadline to return the mail ballots is August 14th at noon.
