PARMA, Ohio — On Tuesday voters in Parma will decide whether or not to keep the city's ban on certain types of dogs, but the wording on the ballot is leading some to question how they should vote.
This is how the question will appear on voters' ballots:
"Shall Section 618.09 (c) of the Codified Ordinances of the City of Parma, which prohibits, within the City, the owning, harboring, or keeping of a pit bull dog, defined by Section 618.01 (z) to include the American Pit Bull Terrier, as recognized by the United Kennel Club, and the American Staffordshire Terrier, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and the Bull Terrier, as recognized by the American Kennel Club, and any mixed breed of dog which contains as an element of its breeding any of the breeds described, be repealed?"
Right now Section 618.09 of Parma's city ordinance bans "the owning, harboring, or keeping of a pit bull within City limits."
Voting "yes" would vote to overturn the ban, allowing dog owners to keep pit bulls and pit bull mixes within city limits, while a "no" vote would keep the ban in place.
Last year animal advocates started to lobby city leaders for a change, hoping to build on the success of a successful repeal of a similar ban in Lakewood.
In February, Parma city council voted to add the issue to the ballot, opting to let voters make the decision on the ban.
Over the weekend supporters of a repeal held a rally in Parma, urging voters to end the ban when they head to the polls on Tuesday.
In addition to Lakewood, Garfield Heights and Rocky River have also ended their breed-specific bans in recent years.