Referendum May Join SOAR on Ballot
A local SOAR growth-control initiative and a referendum on Hidden Creek Ranch could both appear on a special election ballot next year under a resolution approved by the Moorpark City Council.
The council unanimously agreed at its meeting Wednesday night to place the Save Open Space and Agricultural Resourcesinitiative on a Jan. 12 special election ballot. The initiative has already been certified.
If enough signatures on a Hidden Creek Ranch referendum petition are validated, it too will appear on the January ballot. The referendum seeks to overturn the City Council’s approval of the 3,221-home project, the largest development in recent county history.
To qualify their referendum for the ballot, petitioners need 10%--or about 1,500 signatures--of the city’s registered voters. Petitioners turned in 2,441 signatures.
If approved by voters, the Moorpark SOAR initiative would prohibit development beyond the city’s immediate borders without approval of voters.
Placing the SOAR initiative and the referendum on the same ballot would save the city $20,000 in expenses, officials said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
