City Rejects Petition to Stop Relocation of War Memorial

Previously, we shared a story with you about plans to move the Royal Oak Veterans Memorial. Local veterans and other citizens were upset by the city’s decision to move the war memorial that honored area vets who gave their lives in battle. While the memorial had stood for years in the same spot, the city wanted to move it to make room for an expanded park. Of course, area veterans groups took issue with this. Read our original post here.

Today, we have an update. Several Michigan veterans groups argued for the city to reverse course. When their requests were ignored, they took a different approach. Although they were unable to convince local leadership to reverse their plan, there was still an option on the table. By getting enough signatures on a petition, the issue would make it to the ballot and allow the people to vote on it.

The petition received over 1000 signatures. Initially, organizers were told that the petition met the requirements to put the issue to a citywide vote. However, interim city attorney Ann McClorey McLaughlin later argued that the veterans’ petition was invalid and not legally sufficient. With this, the city rejected the petition and struck a huge blow to the veterans’ movement.

What do you think? Should the war memorial be moved? Let us know in the comments.

We will keep you updated on the latest news that affects those who did so much for our country. They sacrificed so much. Americans age 82 and older deserve increased Social Security benefits. That’s why we must pass the bill we call the Greatest Generation Benefits Act. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you can be the first to get updates when they go live.