Austin MLS stadium deal may go to vote

AUSTIN, Texas — A petition that challenges the city of Austin’s deal for a Major League Soccer stadium has been validated, City Clerk Jannette Goodall said in a memo to thecity Council onmonday.

The certification of the petition means that city residents could head to the polls this year to decide whether stadium deals that involve cityowned land should face a vote.

The petition ordinance was written in the wake of the city’s deal with Austin FC owner Anthony Precourt, who plans to privately finance the construction of a $225 million, 20,000-seat stadium on the city-owned Mckalla Place tract in North Austin. Precourt is set to break ground on the stadiumthis year.

The petition ordinance calls for the city to hold an election on any deal that would include the lease or sale of city-owned land for the construction of a sports or entertainment venue, and its certification likely sets up a showdown between the Austin City Council and opponents of the stadium deal.

The city’s legal team has said that a new petition election cannot be held in May because two petition ordinances were included on the November 2018 general election ballot, and Austin’s charter stipulates that petition elections must be separated by at least six months. The next petition election would be in November.

Under the charter, the City Council has 10 days to adopt the petition’s ordinance outrightor order an election. The council likely will ponder that decision at its Feb. 21 meeting.