Vikings stadium suit to go before judge on Tuesday

August 18, 2013 at 12:18AM

A Hennepin County judge will hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit contending that the new Vikings stadium should be subject to a citywide vote.

Doug Mann, who is also running for mayor of Minneapolis, says the stadium legislation improperly violated a charter provision requiring city expenditures of more than $10 million on sports facilities be put to the voters.

The city is committing about $309 million in local sales taxes to pay for the stadium's construction and operations, or about $675 million when accounting for interest over the life of the deal.

The Minneapolis city attorney's office noted in court filings that the Legislature's stadium bill included an "express override of any referendum provisions in the City Charter." Even without the override, however, they say the bill did not trigger a referendum because the taxes never enter the city treasury.

That override could make the suit moot. But the judge's ruling may show whether the referendum would have otherwise been triggered.

ERIC ROPER

@StribRoper

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