Cincinnati Referendum May Get November Vote

It appears Cincinnati voters will be asked to approve the city's controversial parking system lease in November. A group opposing the plan has turned in nearly 20-thousand petition signatures to put the referendum on the ballot, more than double what they needed. City officials are threatening to lay off more than three hundred police and firefighters if the plan is not enacted, saying the upfront funds will help ease the municipal budget crunch. A judge last month blocked implementation of the plan approved by City Council because it contained a provision prohibiting voters from weighing in.