from staff reports
A lot of Meridianites have strong opinions on the smoking ordinance that was passed by the Meridian City Council Tuesday, and many of those Meridianites have been awaiting news on whether Mayor Cheri Barry will veto the ordinance.
Before Tuesday's meeting Barry said she was inclined to go with what the council passes, but that she wanted to see exactly what the ordinance says before making a decision.
But Barry was out of town at the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Tuesday.
After Tuesday's meeting Meridian Chief Administrative Officer Mark McDonald said Barry would not be able to read the ordinance passed until she returned to Meridian.
On Friday Barry said she couldn't veto it if she wanted to and that she does not have veto power in the case of the smoking ordinance because it has already been signed into law by someone else.
When Barry left town she said she appointed Council President Bobby Smith as acting mayor in her absence. She was gone Tuesday when the ordinance was passed by the council, and she was gone Wednesday when Smith signed it as acting mayor.
Smith, however, was not entirely sure that Barry truly lacks veto power. When asked Friday when the ordinance would go into effect, Smith said, "30 days from when I signed it, unless the mayor vetoes it."
Smith, who introduced the ordinance to the council's agenda, said he is "just proud that we finally passed it and I'm proud that we have a mayor who won't veto it."
If there is no veto the ordinance, which bans smoking in all public enclosed areas and some outdoor areas, goes into effect Friday, Feb. 19.
Calls to City Attorney Bill Ready, made this week pertaining to the smoking ordinance, were not returned.
