Petitions circulating in Marquette

By Audrey Posten, North Iowa Times Editor

Following the appointment of Larry Breuer as mayor and Steve Eagle to the council at Marquette’s Feb. 16 council meeting, a group of residents began circulating a petition to force an election to fill the vacancies.

“There are two years left [on the terms]. That’s a whole term for mayor,” noted resident Rinda Ferguson, who resigned last month after six years on the council. David Schneider also resigned as mayor at the end of January. “I strongly believe it should go to the citizens.”

Ferguson said enough signatures—15 percent of the number of people who voted in the last city election—were collected the night the appointments were announced. She added that she believes there is interest among community members to run for the positions.

Aside from the petition forcing an election, a second petition, one of no confidence, is circulating calling for council members Cindy Halvorson, Pam Brodie-Fitzgerald and Eleanor Soulli to resign immediately.

The group chose this course of action, said resident Tracy Melver, because of the council members’ “unwillingness to uphold their office in a fair and impartial manner.”

“So many people are upset,” Ferguson said, referring to the council members’ decision last month not to enforce the city’s zoning. “We need to start over.”