Marana rejects downtown project referendum petition; group behind the petition files lawsuit

MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — A group that collected more than 2,000 signatures to put Marana's downtown development project on the ballot has filed a lawsuit against the town after its referendum petition was rejected.

The town clerk's deadline to verify the signatures was Friday. While the town verified the signatures submitted by Arizonans for Responsible Development, which is sponsored by Worker Power, a Phoenix-based group, the town rejected the application itself.

Marana Town Manager Terry Rozema said the town hired an expert in election laws to advise them on the process.

"We haven't done many referendums, haven't done any in the 15 years that I've been here, that I'm aware of," Rozema said. "So it's not something we deal with every day, and it's something that if you get it wrong, there are consequences to that and you want to get it right."

The attorney advised town officials on all steps to follow and on the legality of the referendum, according to Rozema.

"The statutes, as I said, are very specific on what can be referred and what can't be," Rozema said. "The advice that we got from the attorney and the advice that we chose to move forward was that the referendum is not referable, the item is not referable because it's not legislative in nature."

Arizonans for Responsible Development is trying to bring a lease and development agreement for about 20 acres of land to voters. The town council approved the agreement late last year. The group says its concern is tax reimbursements for the project's developer.

For this project, the town would reimburse the developer for the cost of the buildings, which is estimated to be $84 million. This would be done through retail sales tax and construction sales tax reimbursements.

READ MORE HERE |Marana's downtown project could go to voters as referendum signatures are being collected

Rozema said the group was notified last Friday of the town's decision. The group then filed a lawsuit against the town on Wednesday.

"This will go before the courts and the courts will decide whether or not it meets or it doesn't, whether it goes to the voters or whether it does not," Rozema said.

While this all plays out, the project will remain on hold. KGUN 9 reached out to Worker Power for comment, but we have not heard back.

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