The Town of Marana has rejected referendum petitions to put a proposed data center project on the ballot, saying it didn't meet the requirements set forth in Arizona law.
According to a news release from the Town of Marana, the petitions were submitted by a representative of Arizonans for Responsible Development and sponsored by Worker Power.
Each petition contained an initial signature count of approximately 2,800 signatures. Two separate petitions were filed because the proposed data center project involves two distinct properties, the news release said.
But the petitions did not include the legal description of the involved properties required for zoning ordinances.
A representative for Arizonans for Responsible Development submitted a written request on Tuesday asking that the referendum petitions be withdrawn. The request stated it “no longer supports placing these measures on the ballot," the news release said.
The request also cited the failure to comply with state statute concerning the circulation of the petitions.
The news release said the town did not have the authority to withdraw referendum petitions once they were filed. The town clerk was legally obligated to complete the review process required by state law.
Because the requirements were not satisfied, the signatures were not eligible for further verification, the news release said.
The Town also rejected a referendum petition to put Marana's downtown development project on the ballot, from the same group last week.
