STOP Gets Another Go-ahead On Road To June Ballot

But, there is still a question as to the legality of the petitions.  Opponents of the  measure say some of the petitions fail to meet election code standards.

Assistant City Clerk Wendy Klock-Johnson says the Sacramento City Clerk will decide.

"What will happen next is the County will complete this whole count as requested by the City Clerk and they will transmit a finding of fact of the verification process.  And once the clerk has that, she will examine what the information the county has provided and will also examine to make sure the petition is in compliance with the requirements of the election code," Klock-Johnson said.

James Cathcart with STOP admits there are some problems with the petitions but says the problems don't warrant keeping the measure off of the ballot.

A statement from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson said:

"As the City Clerk has made clear, this is merely a procedural step in part of a longer process. Based on everything we have learned: from the way the initiative was purposefully written to delay the entire project as opposed to a straight up or down vote; to the failure to disclose the chief financial contributor behind the effort; to the fact that the vast majority of the money for this initiative comes from sources opposed to Sacramento; to the issues raised about the nature of the petitions; I have serious concerns about the integrity of the process. Plain and simple - this initiative is a Trojan Horse. For Sacramento, there is a great deal at stake: 4000 jobs, transforming downtown, and keeping the Kings in Sacramento. And given what is at stake, coupled with the troubling questions related to integrity of these ballot petitions, the nature in which they were collected, and the true intent of those who are behind the effort, I believe we should take a hard look at the petitions and consider all of the available options to protect the public." 

The Sacramento Kings also issued a statement saying:

“As we have stated in the past, we love Sacramento and are committed to doing all we can to support the City's efforts to develop an entertainment and sports complex that will help revitalize our downtown. The Kings appreciate the support we have received from the community and know that the organization is fortunate to have the best and most loyal fans in all of the NBA. We share the many concerns expressed by the Mayor, The 4000 and others in Sacramento regarding the anti-arena campaign and are prepared to work to support their leadership.”

The county still has 715 signatures left to verify.  It has until January 28th to complete its task.