Hopkinsville Mayor Wendell Lynch has vetoed the nonpartisan ordinance passed by the city council at Tuesday night’s meeting. The nonpartisan ordinance passed on second reading by a 6-5 vote with Phillip Brooks, Darvin Adams, Patricia Waddell-Bell, Jason Bell, and Kim McCarley casting the nay votes.
Mayor Lynch told the News Edge Friday afternoon he vetoed the ordinance because he has asked council members several times to slow it down, study it further to understand it and give the public a chance to learn more about nonpartisan elections. Since Tuesday night’s vote, the mayor says he has seen the public’s response on social media and there is an extreme interest in this issue. He added that those who chose to comment overwhelmingly showed they were not ready for this nonpartisan ordinance.
In addition, Mayor Lynch says this is not a time-sensitive issue and the city can take their time with it and take it through a process where they will not be looked upon as rushing something the citizens are not ready for. He also says it’s his responsibility to stand in the gap for the citizens and that is what he doing.
The nonpartisan elections ordinance will include a city council primary election with a ward system with the top two candidates who get the most votes moving on to the general election.
At Tuesday night’s meeting, a dozen members of the public voiced their opposition to nonpartisan elections as well as several council members who felt it should be studied further. A motion by councilman Phillip Brooks to send the ordinance back to the Committee of the Whole and have the mayor form a committee to do more research and get more public input failed to pass by one vote.
Mayor Lynch says the ordinance now goes back to the city council and will be put on the agenda to see if they have enough votes to override his veto.
