Citizens' group announces 3 new petitions to reform Norman city government

3 NEW PETITIONS FILED: Unite Norman Announces Reform Package to Improve City Government

NORMAN (October 20th) – Unite Norman, the grassroots group aiming to restore accountability and return city government to the people, announced today a sweeping package of reforms for creating more accountability and transparency for the people of Norman. It will also put forth a proposal to increase professionalism with regard to the way city council conducts its business.

This afternoon, Unite Norman unveiled a reform package that includes: 

1. Making the process or Recall more accessible for citizens — currently, Norman has one of the highest thresholds in America;
2. Allowing citizens to determine the successor to fill a vacated City Council seat by putting it to a vote of the people, rather than allowing the mayor and city council to appoint their cronies and friends;
3. Improving the process of city government by making city council meetings more professional, at reasonable business hours beginning at 8:30am, in an effort to limit the influence of outside extremist mobs and dark-of-night votes.

Unite Norman filed three (3) petitions today, which starts the clock for the signature-gathering process to begin tomorrow.

Unlike a recall petition, a petition to change the city charter would require far less signatures — just a fraction of what Unite Norman garnered in the recall efforts against the mayor and to City Council Member Alison Petrone.

“A recall effort is a wonderful tool, but when that tool needs sharpening it’s our duty as citizens to provide the spark,” said Sassan Moghadam, co-founder of Unite Norman. “A recall effort often has a one-term effect; however, increased public accountability and reform will have a lasting effect that will benefit all Norman residents for years to come.”

Unite Norman has 90 days to gather signatures on the three reform measures.