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No Stadium Tax Coalition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Ramsey County Coalition Launches Charter Amendment Petition Drive to Stop Public Stadium Funding
St. Paul, Minnesota – January 6, 2012.
Representatives of the No Stadium Tax Coalition will launch a full-scale petition drive to enact a charter amendment that would prohibit the use Ramsey County of public funds for a professional sports stadium without a referendum. The Ramsey County Home Rule Charter gives citizens the right to amend the charter through petition, and this is the first time that this right has been exercised in the County.
The effort follows a decision by Ramsey County Attorney’s office to gut the proposed ordinance language that would have prohibited the use of any Ramsey County public funds for a stadium in Arden Hills. The Coalition submitted the text of an ordinance petition, and over 500 pre-petition signatures, to the Ramsey County Manager’s office on December 6.
The Coalition was disappointed by the County Attorney’s decision. “They suggested alternative language which would have made the petition totally meaningless,” said Ady Wickstrom, the Coalition Chair. It’s especially frustrating because we sought his legal review prior to collecting the pre-petition signatures, but he was unwilling to provide such review up-front.” (Our response follows this press release.)
The Coalition now intends to use the Charter amendment, rather than ordinance, petition process to obtain the necessary signatures to place the referendum requirement on the next general election ballot. The petition drive will collect 14,875 signatures, equal to 5% of the Ramsey County registered voters at the time of the last general election. The Coalition has already collected more than 500 signatures. Unlike the Initiative Petition, the County Charter language does not allow for review for Charter amendments proposed by petition.
After collecting the required number of signatures, the question will be placed on the ballot for voters to decide at the next general election.
The petition drive follows repeated proposals by the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners to impose county-wide taxes on residents to generate up to $350 million in revenue for stadium funding. With interest, this number jumps to $675 million. “The majority of the County Commissioners have ignored the public’s sentiment and anger on this issue,” said Ady Wickstrom, Coalition Chair. “Rather than listen to their own constituents, the Commissioners appear ready to do whatever is necessary to please Vikings owner Zygi Wilf, a resident of New Jersey.” She predicted that the question will eventually be placed on a County-wide ballot and will also be an issue in upcoming races for seats on the County Board.
Wickstrom expressed confidence that the Coalition will collect the required signatures. “County residents have been actively expressing their disapproval of stadium funding this fall at City Council meetings, in the press, at Ramsey County Charter Commission meetings, and in other public venues.” As planning for the petition drive has unfolded, Wickstrom stated that, “The response from Ramsey County residents has been overwhelming. They do not want to contribute hundreds of millions of dollars for the stadium.”
Wickstrom also noted that the national and state economic downturn, and the two-week state shut-down over the issue of new taxes, has impacted Ramsey County residents. We at the local level are told that there is a ‘new normal.’ It’s time that professional sports operate the same. It’s inconceivable that the County Commissioners would consider the imposition of local food and beverage taxes, without voter approval, to help fund a $1.1 billion ‘Taj Mahal’stadium with the largest amount of public funding in U.S. professional sports stadium history.
The language of the Charter Amendment language is:
Sec. 9.06 Restriction on Use of Taxes, Bonding and Other Resources
Ramsey County shall be prohibited from using tax revenues, bonding authority, or any other county resources to finance a sports facility to be used by a professional team, or to subsidize the operations of a professional sports team, unless approved by over 50% of those voting on the question in a general election.
The No Stadium Tax Coalition is a diverse group of Ramsey County citizens. Members span the entire political spectrum, and represent Ramsey County communities, and have diverse views on whether a stadium should be built. However they are united by the strong conviction that public funding of a stadium by Ramsey County must be approved by voters.
No Stadium Tax Coalition Leadership Team:
Ady Wickstrom, Chair and member, Shoreview City Council.
Rod Halvorson, member, Ramsey County Charter Commission.
Dave Brudevold, St. Paul conservative activist.
Gregg Larson, former member, Arden Hills City Council.
Bryan Olson, member, Ramsey County Charter Commission.
Contact:
Ady Wickstrom
ady@adywickstrom.com
(651) 780-5245
Visit our website: www.NoStadiumTax.info