Patrons formally petition DCSC building project
By Kevin Schnepp Staff writer

Carroll County Clerk Laura Sterrett told the Comet Thursday she had certified a "petition requesting the application of a petition and remonstrance process" submitted by opponents to Delphi Community School Corporation's 2008 facility renovation project. She said 118 of the 121 names on the petition were verified by her and the auditor's office.

Sterrett said after she certified the signatures, she notified the corporation office the original petition and a certificate of verification were available for retrieval. She said she also provided a copy of the certificate to Everett Snoeberger, who submitted the petition to the clerk's office in mid-April.

DCSC Superintendent Ralph Walker said Tuesday the subject will be the last item on the agenda for the board's May 12 regular meeting at 7 p.m. in the corporation office.

"The board will address the petition on Monday evening," he stated.

According to rules set forth by the state, the board must decide either to halt the renovation project or to proceed with the petition and remonstrance process. If board members choose to proceed, registered voters and real property owners in the district will be able to sign a petition for or remonstrance against the project.

Indiana Code 6-1.1-20-3.2 states, "Only owners of real property or registered voters within (the DCSC district) may petition for or remonstrate against the issuance of the debt. If more valid signatures remonstrating than valid signatures petitioning are verified…and are received within 60 days of the date of the petition and remonstrance publication, the project will be stopped for at least one year. If more valid petition signatures are received than remonstrance signatures, the debt issuance is able to go forward."