Photo by Solomon Crenshaw Jr.
Homewood Council President Alex Wyatt talks about a proposed refernedum to change the city's form of government during a Finance Committee meeting on Monday, March 18, 2024.
Contrary to an opinion expressed on social media, Alex Wyatt said Homewood City Council members did not relinquish their freedom of speech when they were elected.
Specifically, the Homewood council president said elected officials may speak about the proposed referendum that could change the city’s form of government.
“We are residents of Homewood just like anybody else, so we can offer our opinion,” Wyatt said. “The city cannot advocate for anything. We individually can be asked for our opinion. We can be asked whether we want to sign the petition. We can distribute the petition. We can do all those things without violating the law.”
But the city cannot.
“The city cannot advocate a position,” he said. “We can't spend public funds for it. There's no problem with any of us talking to people about the petition. There's no problem with us talking to people in our capacity as a resident about any of this, so don't worry about doing that.”
Wyatt said efforts to secure a consultant to collect signatures on the petition were taking too long. Instead, community volunteers will take on the task of collecting signatures.
“I think we've all heard enough support about the city manager position and having a city manager over the past five years,” the council president said. “There, hopefully, will be enough [volunteer support] to do that.”
Wyatt said the aim is to have the referendum by some time in August.
“From the point at which the probate court certifies the petition, you have to have the election between 40 and 90 days of that date,” he said. “If you sort of work all that back, then ideally we would have the signatures in and could get it to the probate court sometime in June.”
While the vote could happen later than August, Wyatt said he hopes to avoid running into potential confusion with the general election.
Councilwoman Barry Smith suggested that advocates for having the referendum take advantage of a large group of residents attending We Love Homewood Day.
“We're going to have a giant thing at the park,” she said. “(We can) set up a table and a tent and get signatures.”
Wyatt said they absolutely can do that. “We just need some volunteers to help.”
Councilman Nick Sims asked if meetings can be conducted in the council chambers about the referendum and possible change of government. Wyatt said that is permitted, provided the meetings are not taking a side in the discussion.
“We can have informational meetings in the chambers, just like we have in the past,” the council president said.
Discussion of the petition and referendum took place during the City Council’s Finance Committee meeting, which was followed by a meeting of the Planning and Development Committee.
After those meetings, the council agreed to not meet on its regular meeting date of Monday, March 25. The panel will instead meet at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 20, to avoid conflicts with spring break next week.
