Referendum

Here is the full text of the referendum. A copy of the petition you can print, sign and return is here.

BALLOT TITLE: CHARTER AMENDMENT REQUIRING VOTER APPROVAL TO USE CITY ASSETS/DEBT FOR PROFESSIONAL SPORTS        FACITILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURE

BALLOT QUESTION: Shall the Charter be amended to require voter approval by referendum to use City Assets and/or City Debt, including bond issues, for the acquisition of land for, or construction, renovation, maintenance, operation, replacement, financing or refinancing of Professional Sports Facilities and related Infrastructure?

______Yes for the Charter Amendment

______No against the Charter Amendment

Full Text of Proposed Amendment to the Charter for the City of St. Petersburg:  Additions are underlined below:

“Article VII, Sec. 7.10 Referendum required for use of City Assets or City Debt for Professional Sports Facilities and related Infrastructure

A referendum shall be required for the use of City Assets and/or City Debt, including issuance of bonds, for the acquisition of land for, or the construction, renovation, maintenance, operation, replacement,  financing or refinancing of the replacement of all or a portion of any Professional Sports Facilities and all Infrastructure for Professional Sports Facilities. Nothing herein shall impair the City’s existing contractual obligations as of the date of this Charter amendment. Any and all amendments to the City’s existing contract(s) which require City Assets or City Debt shall be subject to this procedure.

(a) Purpose: The purpose of this section is to require referendum approval for the use of City’s Assets and/or City Debt, including bonds, to acquire land for, to construct, renovate, maintain, operate, replace, finance and/or refinance existing or new Professional Sports Facilities and Infrastructure for those facilities.

(b) Definitions:  The following terms shall have the definitions listed below when used in this Section 7.10, unless a different meaning is clearly evident from the context in which they appear:

(1) City Assets:  These are City-owned assets: all current and future real property interests, including improvements thereon and development rights thereto, of fee simple, leasehold, and reverter interests; all current and future personal property interests, including licensing fees, franchise fees, naming rights fees and permit fees;  all current and future City revenues, including  ad-valorem taxes, City excise taxes, payments in lieu of taxes, City fees, any and all City personal property rights flowing therefrom;  and, the waiver of, exemption of, credit for, relief from payment of any taxes and fees, including tax incentives.

(2) City Debt: This includes all City loans, including bonds issued by the City, and/or any other form of debt issued or contractual obligation wherein the City acts as lender, guarantor, obligor, and/or the City pledges or otherwise encumbers City Assets. This also includes the City’s extension of credit, and the use of the City’s tax increment financing.

(3)  Professional Sports Facilities:   These are all facilities professional athletes use to train, compete and or entertain with their sport, including but not limited to all athletic fields, athletic buildings, including courts, stadia, locker rooms, concession stands, offices, weight rooms, parking garages, ticket booths and parking lots.

(4)  Infrastructure:  The acquisition, placing, replacing, moving and/or removing of all utilities, such as water, sewer, reclaimed water, gas, electrical and cable for the Professional Sports Facility; and, the acquisition, construction, demolition, removal and/or replacement of roads, alleys, parkways, landscaping, sidewalks, lighting, parking garages and parking lots required for the Professional Sports Facility.

(c)  Referendum procedure: When a referendum procedure is called for in this section, it shall be conducted in the following manner.  An ordinance shall be prepared describing the general location of the Professional Sports Facility and/or Infrastructure, the amount and type of City Asset and/or Debt contemplated for use for the Professional Sports Facility, costs for Infrastructure, project contingencies, and the length of time such City Assets and/or Debt will be required, subject to the vote of the electors. The City shall thirty-five (35) days prior to the first reading of the ordinance, publish a notice of the proposed ordinance in a daily newspaper published in the City and once a week thereafter for three consecutive weeks, which shall contain the ordinance in its entirety. Following final City Council approval of the referendum ordinance, the question of the use of City Assets and/or City Debt for a Professional Sports Facility and/or Infrastructure shall be submitted to the voters at the next special or general election and it shall be effective upon approval by a majority vote of the electors voting in such referendum.

(d)  Exclusive procedure:  The procedure delineated in this section shall be the exclusive procedure for the proposal to use City Assets and/or City Debt for a Professional Sports Facility and/or Infrastructure and, no other procedure, including Charter amendment by City Council of this section, shall be used. This section 7.10 may not be repealed, rescinded, or modified except by referendum held in accordance with the City Charter or as provided by Florida Statutes.”