City resident Scott Axelson talks with the council about Proposition One and having a sign stolen from his lawn during Monday’s voting session. Screenshot courtesy of the city of Jamestown’s website

‘Tis the season for stolen election sign chicanery.

The main reason city resident Scott Axelson came to Monday’s City Council meeting was because he had been the one in the city making signs opposition Proposition 1, which is on the ballot for the Nov. 5 election, and had a sign in his lawn stolen Sunday. He said he most likely knows who stole it, and talked briefly about a conversation he had with his neighbor, who also said they would have stolen it if someone else had not.

“So what I’m saying about this whole issue is there’s no civility among our residents and people,” Axelson said. “And I’m not promoting any certain person running for office, we’re just promoting what the problem is with this amendment to the constitution, which will totally destroy many of the protections in New York state.”

Axelson wrapped up by saying the main goal is education and that he has been asked before to run for city office, but that is something he does not want to do if the ability to have civil conversations about topics such as this is not there.

Axelson began by recognizing the work done by the council with the budget, adding that he believed a lot of people are recognizing the situation the previous administration had put them in. Axelson is a member of the Southern Tier TEA Party Patriots, which he said has been working against Proposition One, and spoke about the details of the proposition, along with some things that have happened to him over the last few days.

According to Axelson, the state has messed up what is included in the proposition, which includes equal protections and fights discrimination against anyone because of their race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, creed, religion, sex, which includes sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy outcomes, reproductive healthcare, and autonomy. Axelson discussed the specific problems he saw with categories such as gender identity and the fact that the proposition has a part B.

“It’s a lawyers’ bonanza because there’s a part B to this that no one reads,” Axelson said. “Basically what it allows, nothing in this section shall invalidate or prevent the adoption of any law, regulation, program or practice that is done to prevent or dismantle discrimination on the characteristics in this section. It will in effect allow the state to legally discriminate against any group it wants to.”

Axelson said that what this means is that the proposition will say that those living in the state cannot discriminate but allows the state to still discriminate. All of these are why Axelson said he and his group are trying to promote saying no to Proposition One, which he described as too widely written and something that will be in the courts for years.

Also during Monday’s voting session the council voted to approve a local law authorizing a tax cap levy increase higher than the 2% limit, a resolution supporting the Lakes Before Turbines Act, and a few new items including the approval of a support resolution to have Jamestown Community College’s proposed new athletic complex as a part of SUNY’s executive budget, the approval of a Fair Housing Officer, an amendment of the YMCA grant and a loan to Monroe and More, LLC.

Council President Anthony Dolce, R-Ward 2, reminded everyone that the tax cap levy law was needed to be able to pass any budget with a proposed tax cap levy over 2% but does not necessarily mean that the current proposed 7.79% increase is what will be passed.