Community Gas and Service Company v. Walbaum

DAVISON, Justice.

In this proceeding, brought here by appeal from a decision of the Town Clerk of the Town of Hinton (in his capacity as the municipality’s chief clerk), the court is called upon to determine whether the initiative petition under challenge is sufficient for submission to a vote of the local electorate. The initiative measure in question proposes the enactment of an ordinance granting to the Community Gas & Service Company, Inc., a franchise to construct and operate a natural gas distribution system.

After an adverse decision by the town clerk, appellant, who is the sponsor of…