Mertz v. States

Alice Mertz sponsored a proposal for an ordinance to be included on the 1994 general election ballot in the City of Hot Springs and filed the completed petitions with the City Clerk. Michael States and Clay Ferrar, Jr. filed suit in circuit court against the City Clerk and the Garland County Election Commission and, contending the proposal was a referral, sought a declaratory judgment that the petitions were insufficient and that the Clerk be ordered not to certify the proposal to the Commission for inclusion on the ballot at the general election. Apparently Mertz, as a sponsor, was allowed…