Group Encourages People To Contest Disqualified Signatures On Bond Petition

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Organizers of a petition drive to get a proposed bond measure on the ballot for a new jail, library and other projects in Lee County are asking those whose names were disqualified from that petition to take action.

Earlier this month, a petition containing more than two thousand signatures was submitted to Lee County.  That petition would have put a bond package before voters.  Supervisors approved borrowing up to 85 million dollars for the construction of a new law enforcement complex, public library and other projects.

To get the measure before voters, the petition would need 1,500 valid signatures.

However, about 775 signatures were disqualified, meaning there were only 1,359 valid signatures, short of the 1,500.

Circuit Clerk Camille Roberts Dulaney says most of the signatures were disqualified because the person wasn’t a registered voter.   Also, the signatures have to be legible and must match the name on the voter rolls.

Pastor Charles Moore is president of the Lee County Chapter of the N Double A C P.  He says those whose signatures were disqualified can go to the justice center, and sign an affidavit contesting the decision.

“As taxes are, they will go up and be there for the next twenty years and we will continue to have to pay on those even after twenty years, you will be paying on something you didn’t agree to or had no voice in, but now is the time to have the voice, we can push this to a vote without five people making that decision for us,” Pastor Moore said.

County officials say supervisors can borrow up to 85 million dollars, but may not need to borrow that much, depending on costs of the justice complex, library and other projects.