The Salina City Commission has voted unanimously to move a citizen-led initiative to a special election, setting up a community-wide decision on whether to repeal the city’s 21-year-old pit bull ban.
City Manager Jacob Wood explained that the Saline County Clerk’s Office verified the petition, confirming that it met the legal threshold for certification. The petition, led by residents Tyler Sartain and Deborah Corrales, seeks to eliminate all breed-specific language from city code, effectively repealing Salina’s prohibition on pit bulls while leaving other dangerous and nuisance dog ordinances in place.
Under state law, the Commission had two choices: adopt the ordinance as written within 20 days or send it to a public vote. Commissioners opted to let voters decide, triggering preparations for a special election expected to cost between $60,000 and $80,000.
If approved by voters, the ordinance will repeal all breed-specific rules in Salina and prevent the City Commission from revisiting or modifying that section of code for 10 years.
During the meeting, city officials noted that this outcome limits the Commission’s ability to modify or replace the law with a compromise ordinance. Commissioners expressed differing views on the topic but ultimately agreed that the decision should rest with residents rather than the governing body. Several members acknowledged that while they might have preferred a revised or behavior-based policy, the petition process did not allow for amendments.
The petition gathered 1,400 valid signatures from registered voters within the city limits—enough to trigger the statutory review process. While supporters called the effort a community-driven initiative to end breed discrimination, some commissioners and residents noted that the number of petition signers represented a small fraction of the total city electorate, which exceeded 6,000 voters in the most recent local election.
Public comments reflected the long-standing divide over the issue. Petition organizers and their supporters argued that breed-specific legislation is outdated, costly to enforce, and inconsistent with national animal welfare standards. They cited data from veterinary and animal behavior groups stating that dog behavior should be judged individually rather than by breed. Several also pointed to other cities—including Denver, Aurora, and Liberty, Missouri—that have repealed similar bans in recent years.
Opponents of repeal emphasized public safety, with several residents and first responders arguing that pit bulls remain responsible for a disproportionate number of serious bite incidents. Others raised concerns about the costs of enforcement changes and the potential risks to the public if the ban is lifted.
Despite differences of opinion, all five commissioners voted to advance the petition to a special election. The vote allows Salina residents to directly decide the fate of the pit bull ban for the first time since its adoption in 2004.
The City will now work with the Saline County Clerk’s Office to determine an election date and decide whether the vote will occur in person or by mail ballot. Once the election is held, the results will be binding for 10 years, preventing the Commission from altering the law during that period.
The upcoming vote marks a significant moment for Salina’s animal policy and could determine whether the city maintains its long-standing restrictions or joins other Kansas communities that have repealed breed-specific dog bans.