Hinders v. City of Ames

LARSON, Justice.

This action began when the plaintiff filed a petition for writ of mandamus to compel the Ames city council to submit to the voters a proposal to discontinue the operation of the city’s electric utility and sell all the assets. The city and council members answered claiming that the plaintiff’s requested change did not constitute a valid “proposal” within the meaning of Iowa Code section 388.2 (1981) (providing procedure for submission of proposal to establish or dispose of city utility), because it did not state to whom and for how much the utility was to be sold. Upon…