Ramsey County attorney puts breaks on citizen challenge to stadium

Posted at 7:01 PM on January 5, 2012 by Minnesota Public Radio
Filed under: Government

By Tim Nelson, Minnesota Public Radio

St. Paul, Minn. - The Ramsey County attorney's office has sidetracked a citizen challenge to the county's plans for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium.

A petition submitted to county elections officials on Dec. 6 would have put an initiative before voters to outlaw spending on a stadium and banning any legal deals for a stadium.

But the county's initiative process includes a legal review of proposed initiatives by the Ramsey County attorney's office. And a new opinion by county legal experts says that two of the three provisions aren't eligible for the ballot.

"I think this is an outrageous decision, an attempt to circumvent the people of Ramsey County, and I'm appalled by their decision," said Rod Halvorson, a stadium opponent and a member of the Ramsey County charter commission.

The county attorney said that voters could weigh in on bonding for a stadium. But it is unclear if the county would sell bonds as part of a stadium funding package.