Lincoln City Council Chair Brodey Weber is inviting Good Government Lincoln spokesperson Tony Fulton to a public debate over proposed city charter amendments. Weber issued the challenge Wednesday at a news conference, saying voters need a fuller discussion before deciding five charter amendments on the Nov. 3 ballot.
Weber, who opposes Good Government Lincoln’s proposals, said Fulton should publicly address questions about the amendments and the campaign’s intentions. “These questions must be answered, which is why I am publicly inviting Tony Fulton to a public forum or a good faith debate on the substance of the Charter Amendment issues,” Weber said.
Much of Weber’s criticism focused on the group’s proposal to move city elections to even-numbered years. He argued that its transition provisions would shorten Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird’s final term and said the city’s alternative offers voters a better way to change the election schedule. Weber also criticized a separate proposal that would allow residents living outside city limits but within Lincoln’s extraterritorial jurisdiction to vote in city elections.
Weber said he would accommodate Fulton’s schedule and preferences for the discussion. “So I encourage him to reach out. We can have this conversation in a forum that he feels comfortable. We can have it in a format in which he feels comfortable,” Weber said. No date or location was announced at the news conference.
Weber said he supports the city’s alternative amendments and wants voters to understand the competing proposals before casting their ballots. He said a public discussion would allow residents to “truly hear both perspectives, both sides, and then make a determination of what they think is in the best interest of their city.”
Weber also criticized Attorney General Mike Hilgers’ effort to recover legal fees following the Nebraska Supreme Court dispute over placing the amendments on November’s ballot. Weber called the effort “political intimidation” and argued it could discourage communities from challenging the attorney general’s office.
Weber defended the city’s handling of the ballot dispute and said Lincoln would continue standing up for its residents. “We will not be bullied and we will not be intimidated,” he said.