Citizen Activists Hope to Stop Soccer Stadium with Petition

None by KCPW

The Utah Legislature has already decided a pro-soccer stadium in Sandy merits taxpayer dollars. But Brad Swedlund thinks lawmakers were wrong to second-guess the decision of Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon:

"They only reviewed it for a few days, where as the county reviewed it for months and months," says Swedlund. "You know if the deal had been even close to being financially viable it would have gone through the county. But for it to be rejected, it must have been far from financially viable."

In order to get the stadium deal on the ballot, Swedlund needs to round up 96-thousand signatures by April 9th. He admits it's a long-shot, but he's banking on public opinion polls that show the majority of Utahns oppose using tax dollars for the stadium. Lawmakers justified their action saying hotel taxes are paid by tourists rather than locals.

"Taxes are taxes and just because you're screwing the other guy, doesn't mean it's not taxes," says an unconvinced Swedlund.

Swedlund and four others who filed the referendum petition Monday were inspired by public school advocates working on a referendum to overturn the state's new voucher program. Referendums are rarely successful in Utah - the last to make it to the ballot was a land issue more than 30 years ago, and it failed.

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