Royal Oak Voters Will Not Get HRO Information in Mail from City

Leaders decided Monday night not to mail information to voters regarding Proposal A - the human rights ordinance - and were split 3-3 (Commissioner Carlo Ginotti was absent) as to whether or not a letter drafted by City Attorney David Gillam should appear on the city's website, in the city's electronic newsletter or sent to the media in the form of a press release.

Even Commissioner Jim Rasor, who sought an authorized mailing to voters regarding the human rights ordinance ballot proposal saying "there is a lot of misinformation out there," did not support sending the letter Gillam drafted.

"This stuff’s on the ballot. I would like a letter that just says this is what this ordinance says, this is what is does does and doesn’t do," Rasor said.

Rasor asked if a letter to voters could consist of a series of questions and answers.

"Trying to answer questions is problematic because of what the questions are, and who frames the questions," Gillam said. "I think that is where you cross over the line of advocating for a position."

Rasor offered a motion to release the letter Gillam drafted using options that did not require funds, such as publishing the information on the the city website.

"This is on the website," said Mayor Pro-Tem David Poulton. "It’s called a sample ballot. That’s the language that people are going to vote on."

Poulton described writing the letter as a waste of city resources.

"The information is out there," said Mayor Jim Ellison, who also did not support using the city's website or other less expensive channels.

"I will use my own resources to advocate my position on this issue as I already have and will continue to do so, as anyone of us away from this table can advocate the issue," said Ellison, a supporter of Proposal A. "That’s our right as residents of this community."

You can read the letter Gillam drafted by clicking here.