Election Commission votes to keep English Only off ballot

Councilman and initiative author Crafton vows legal action following decision

Email | Print By Nate Rau

Eric Crafton

The Election Commission Board voted Tuesday to take the legal advice of Metro’s legal director and not allow the English Only charter amendment on the November ballot.

Commissioners voted 3-2 to heed the advice of Sue Cain, Metro’s director of law, who on Monday issued a legal ruling saying that the ballot initiative did not abide by a charter requirement of a two-year waiting period.

Councilman Eric Crafton, who pushed the ballot initiative, vowed legal action following the commission vote.

Cain’s Monday ruling said petition-driven charter amendments can only be submitted every two years. Cain’s ruling interprets the word “submitted” to mean when the voters weigh in on the proposed charter amendment.

Davidson County voters approved the charter amendment requiring voter approval for property tax increases on Nov. 7, 2006. The English Only amendment proposal would be on the Nov. 4 ballot, which according to Cain means it falls short of the two-year waiting period by three days.

Crafton’s ballot initiative garnered more than 12,000 signatures of Davidson County voters, more than the required 10,013.