CLARKSVILLE — A leader in an effort to hold an election whether to dissolve Clarksville’s government has expressed disappointment the related petition was disqualified “on such minor technicalities.”

As published in the Wednesday, Dec. 14 News Journal, the Clinton County Board of Elections ruled 4-0 the petition is invalid based on an opinion of its legal counsel, the Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

After reviewing the petition, Assistant Clinton County Prosecuting Attorney Andrew T. McCoy stated his legal opinion is the petition contains two defects that invalidate the petition: First, the petition calls for voters to decide the issue in a general election; and second, the petition was “not timely filed” with the elections board.

According to McCoy, the first thing listed above is a flaw because requesting the dissolution question be placed on a general election ballot — rather than in a special election held for the stated purpose of the dissolution question — does not comply with an Ohio Revised Code requirement.

And the timing of the filing of the petition with the elections board is a defect because the election requested in the petition — the next general election — has since passed, “rendering the petition moot,” McCoy wrote in an official memorandum to the elections board.

Darrell Wilson, who presented the signed circulated petitions to village council in October, commented on the petition being declared void.

“The circulators of this petition are all disappointed that a ballot initiative that would have given the people of Clarksville a choice has been derailed on such minor technicalities,” he stated.

“Without the people’s right to choose in this matter being respected, the enormous financial burden will fall on the 200 households within this Village to dig out of a hole of hundreds of thousands of dollars which has been created over the last two decades,” added Wilson.

Submitting a new petition with signatures of voters asking for an election on the same question is permitted. Wilson said he thinks the residents who circulated the petition previously will be deciding whether to re-do the petition process.

“We will be discussing more options to restore the power of Clarksville to the residents who have asked their votes to be counted, since the required number of signatures were in fact collected, despite the cited minor technicalities,” stated Wilson.

Due to Dec. 26 being a legal holiday, the next regular meeting of Clarksville Village Council has been re-scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 27 at 6:30 p.m. in the village municipal building.

Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.