Mayoral candidate Doug Mann (left) is going to court Tuesday to ask a judge to order the City Council to put a referendum on financing for the planned Vikings stadium on the November ballot.
Mann said he will file his petition for a writ of mandamus that seeks a public referendum on use of city sales taxes to help finance the edifice, as authorized by the Legislature.
He wants the court to order that the city follow a provision of its charter that requires voter approval when more than $10 million in city funds are spent on an athletic facility. The city is expected to note that the legislation overrides that charter provision.
The city will finance its portion of the stadium using a suite of sales taxes – a citywide sales tax, downtown restaurant and liquor taxes and a hotel tax. Those taxes currently pay for the city's convention center, but money will be freed up when debt on that facility is paid in 2020.The total city subsidy is $309 million, or $678 million when accounting for interest over the life of the deal.
Mann has been a frequent candidate for public office.
