Fullerton, California

The Clearwater City Council spent hours Thursday debating a citizen petition seeking to repeal a June ordinance affecting South Garden Avenue, a downtown road tied to the Church of Scientology. The group behind the effort, Save the Garden, says more than 10,000 residents signed the petition, arguing the city has repeatedly ceded public streets to Scientology without resident input.

City Attorney Owen Kohler warned the council that the referendum could conflict with state law barring initiative or referendum action on development orders, opening the city and Save the Garden to potential litigation from Scientology. Options discussed included seeking a Florida Attorney General opinion, filing a declaratory judgment, or letting voters decide if the council declines to repeal the ordinance. Council members disagreed on whether to involve the attorney general again. They voted unanimously to have the Supervisor of Elections verify the petition signatures before any further action, leaving the ordinance's fate and the referendum's legality unresolved.