Maumee rental ordinance: Lucas Co. court says measure must appear on ballot, city files appeal

MAUMEE, Ohio — The city of Maumee has filed an appeal after the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas ruled a controversial housing ordinance must appear on the Nov. 5 election ballot.

The Lucas County Board of Elections decided in April the ordinance would appear on the ballot, after some community members, especially landlords and realtors, voiced concerns about possible city overreach in the measure's implementation. WTOL 11 has previously reported that Maumee Ordinance 002-2023 would require the upgrading of non-owner occupied properties to new standards.

The city of Maumee later sued to get the ordinance removed from the ballot, and filed protests with the Lucas County Board of Elections on Aug. 7, 24, and 29 according to the appeal. After the Lucas County Court of Common Pleas ruled against the city on Oct. 8, allowing the measure to stay on the ballot, the city filed an appeal in the Ohio 6th District Court of Appeals on Oct. 10.

The appeal alleges those who sought to put the measure on the ballot via petition did not file a certified copy of the ordinance before circulating the petitions, an act, the appeal said, that is required by law. It also claims the ordinance the petition circulators filed was not an exact copy of the actual city ordinance.



https://www.wtol.com/article/news/politics/elections/maumee-rental-housing-ordinance-appeal-ballot-election-ohio-news-voting-local/512-e539e390-8efd-4633-9d88-d87e840d2102