Ward 8 Candidates Split Over Initiative 83 Funding

Ward 8’s newest council member will enter the John A. Wilson Building later this summer with a bevy of policy and budgetary issues on their plate, including that which concerns a yet-to-be-funded ballot initiative approved by District voters last fall.

As revealed at a recent candidate forum, there’s some agreement that District officials, for the time being, should delay implementation of the ballot measure known as Initiative 83.

For Mike Austin, it’s a matter of understanding its long-term effects and addressing the controversy surrounding the use of white-out on ballot petitions.

“There was some misconception and confusion in how it was agendized and presented to the community, “ Austin, an attorney and former hospital executive, said on the evening of June 2 during a Ward 8 candida