The fight to keep bus Route K in Weston continues. Supporters of the service filed a lawsuit against the Village Board in February for removing the referendum from the spring ballot. Friday in Marathon County Court the supporters asked Judge Mike Moran to decide if the board must put the petition back for residents to vote on.
In December, the board removed the referendum even though the necessary signatures to make it happen had been approved. The board's lawyer said the request was administrative rather than legislative, meaning it infringes on the administrative discretion of the board to manage its business.
Since then, petitioners have also sought legal council. The attorney representing them, Mark Kareken, says this is new legislation. During a February interview with NewsChannel 7, he said, "It puts on the books a requirement that be made available without telling the board who they have to hire and all of the particulars that I would put into the category of administrative."
The board also argues this petition is simply a way to reverse their decision from March, which ended all services in Weston for 2012.
"What the petition asks for is that the bus service under this new legislation would be provided beginning in 2013," Kareken said last month. "So it's not a reversal of the board's prior decision to cancel the service. It's a new initiative."
Under Wisconsin law, direct legislation cannot be used to reverse a decision.
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