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| By Big Radio News Staff |

Evansville resident Jeff Stevens spent months trying to convince his city government to allow ATV and UTV use on city streets but found himself stuck in the mud.

Mayor Dianne Duggan says elected officials turned down recent ATV and UTV proposals over concerns about age limits, operating hours, insurance, enforcement and more.

So rather than continue to spin his wheels, Stevens, a member of the Western Rock County ATV Club, opted for an alternate route — the state’s rarely used direct legislation statute.

The statute allows residents of cities and villages to petition for legislative ballot measures to be placed on general election ballots. Petitioners first need to collect a number of signatures equal to at least 15% of the total number of votes cast for governor in the most recent election. For Stevens in Evansville, that total was 395 signatures.

He cleared that hurdle, drafted an ordinance based on similar measures in other cities across the state after he couldn’t find a lawyer to help him and then filed his paperwork with Evansville City Clerk Leah Hurtley.

That forced a city council vote on his proposal in July.

Citing the same worries from before — and the fact that members now had no say over the text of the ordinance — the council voted the proposal down unanimously, 7-0.

Now, the question is up to city residents.

If the ordinance passes, the city would have to implement it as written. It could not be repealed or amended for two years without another citywide vote.

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