FREEPORT — A referendum on banning disposable plastic bags in Freeport is headed to the June ballot.
Town Clerk Christine Wolfe certified 667 signatures on the petition, more than the amount required to put the issue on the ballot.
The referendum will ask voters whether they want to ban the use of disposable plastic bags at supermarkets and convenience stores and put a 5-cent fee on paper bags. Non-food retailers would not be affected by the ban.
The town council had planned to place a non-binding advisory question on the ballot asking whether residents support placing a fee on paper and plastic bags, but is now expected to pull their question off the June ballot, according to Town Manager Peter Joseph.
The town council will hold a public hearing on the proposed bag ban May 17 at 6:30 p.m. at the Freeport Town Hall. The municipal election is June 14.
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