Norman residents won’t vote on diverting hundreds of millions of tax dollars toward a new entertainment district in August after all.
The vote was blocked due to a lawsuit claiming the city council’s authorization of it was invalid.
Norman could still be getting the billion-dollar entertainment district that includes a new arena for OU athletics. But, citizens won’t get to weigh in with a special election. At least not in August. There were procedural questions about a vote Norman’s City Council requested in June. Council members asked for a non-binding election to gauge interest in the project.
But former Norman mayors Bill Nations and Dick Reynolds sued the city over authorization of the vote, saying it didn’t follow Norman’s charter. A Cleveland County judge heard them out and granted a temporary restraining order on Thursday.
The lawsuit claims the city charter requires special elections be called by ordinance. The city council’s June action was a resolution. Further, it doesn’t involve the exercise of legislative power or allow citizens to approve or reject anything. The vote would be non-binding and simply ask the public if the city council should approve up to 600-million dollars in future tax revenue for the project.
Ultimately, the decision to move forward with the current plan for the project lies with the city council, whether or not a public vote eventually happens.
