An Amarillo resident is preparing to file a petition for an injunction against the City of Amarillo, in an attempt to stop construction on the downtown baseball stadium until a vote is held.
Claudette Smith, an Amarillo resident, announced at Tuesday's meeting of the Amarillo City Council that she will be filing a petition for an injunction in district court, in an effort to force the City of Amarillo to hold an election on the stadium, before any more construction is completed. Smith said that the project required a vote by Amarillo voters, due to the way that the City of Amarillo acquired the land for the project through an Amarillo Economic Development Corporation facilitated land swap.
In a statement to the Amarillo Pioneer, Smith said that she intends to force a vote on the stadium, as she believes that it is required by law and would be in the best interest of the voters.
"Multiple milestones throughout the development of the MPEV were accomplished illegally," Smith said. "One of the most notable, being the voters were not given the opportunity to vote on Type A funds being used for a Type B Project. Type B AEDC’s are required to hold elections for 'sports venues and related infrastructure' as well. Both require elections. I'm hoping to halt the expenditure of the $45.5 million on top of an illegal land purchase, and allow the tax payers the voice in the process they were always supposed to have. Given the rapid departure of HOT tax-generating events, the self-sustaining economic false premise that City leaders pinned the hopes and fantasies on for this project will likely never materialize and it will fall back on the taxpayers."
Smith also went on to say that she feels that Mayor Ginger Nelson is attempting to change public comment rules, as she wants to have the stadium project completed without dissent from citizens.
"Mayor Nelson wants to shut down all public speech because, ultimately, she wants to ram through the MPEV project to see what she started while on the board of the AEDC illegally is finished as Mayor," Smith said.
In 2015, the Amarillo City Council held a non-binding election over whether to include a baseball stadium in construction downtown. The issue passed by a narrow margin. However, it has been speculated that this election would not suffice state law, if the project was being completed with any use of economic development funds.
Smith said that she plans to file the petition for the injunction in a district court this week.
