South Bend Mayor James Mueller on Thursday vetoed a common council resolution calling for the city to pause its involvement in the Midwest Continental Divide Trail project.
Mueller issued a statement saying the resolution is “riddled with false and misleading claims. I hope Councilmembers do more due diligence before doubling down on this substandard legislation that damages the credibility of the City's legislative process and accomplishes nothing, even if passed.”
The council passed the resolution last month on a 7-1 vote, meaning it has the two-thirds support to override a veto. Council member Oliver Davis Jr., who sponsored the bill, says he’ll make a motion at Monday night’s meeting seeking an override of the veto.
Davis says the city should pause the project since St. Joseph County leaders recently did so. They’re feeling pressure from farmers and rural homeowners who are worried about their property rights.
Mueller says Davis did not follow council filing procedure by having the council attorney review it before the vote. Mueller says the resolution falsely claims that an appointed commission overseeing the trail’s development could take land through eminent domain without council approval, and that its meetings wouldn’t be public.
Mueller added that the person he appoints to a commission overseeing the trail's development doesn't need council approval.
In response, Council President Canneth Lee released a statement saying that Mueller's veto "focuses on legal technicalities" but does not address why the council passed the bill.
"This legislation was never about expanding the Council’s authority," Lee says. "It was about ensuring that property owners along the proposed route are properly notified before decisions are made and that the Common Council has a defined role early in the process — not after key decisions have already been made."
