City of Glendale rejects petitions for referendum on Phoenix Coyotes sale -NHL Update
Ken Jones and Joe Cobb had 30 days to impress the residents of Glendale, Arizona, but failed in their attempts after the City Clerk’s Office rejected petitions that were looking to hold a referendum in the city to go against the sale of the Phoenix Coyotes,
citing the lack of the required number of signatures.
The two disgruntled residents were reportedly short by 300 and more signatures they needed on the petition in order for the city to consider holding a referendum on the subject and were able to turn in just 1,568 signatures by the end of the deadline.
For Jones and Cobb, they wanted to give voters a voice and give them a chance to decide if they wanted to give Greg Jamison, former San Jose Sharks executive, a chance at securing a 20-year, $324 million lease agreement.
Jamison’s bid was approved by city lawmakers as the City Council approved it with an overwhelming, 4-2, majority vote in favour of the deal earlier last month in June. Now, it seems that the only barrier in Jamison’s way to secure the bid is if the current
owner, the National Hockey League (NHL), approves the deal, which they term to be currently in process.
Not being able to win through the power of signatures, The Goldwater Institute, which is seen to be behind this whole anti-Jamison situation, is planning on taking it to court, but according to legal experts, there will not be much of a difference for them.
“That’s a pretty uphill battle for these folks,” said Andy Gordon, a Phoenix-based attorney who has vast experience in dealing with referendums told The Tucson Citizen. “I think they’re pretty clearly out of time.”
Amazingly, Jones and Cobb were not the only activists during the entire scenario. A group of Phoenix Coyotes fans also formed a political action committee in order to prove to residents that such a deal was in the city’s and their team’s best interests.
For now, it seems that Greg Jamison will be taking over the Phoenix Coyotes, finally giving them an owner and something captain, Shane Doan, just might reconsider to stay with his long-time team.
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