Stadium opponents a third of the way to signature goal

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Opponents of a public-funding package for Real Salt Lake's planned Sandy soccer stadium say they have gathered more than a third of the signatures needed to put the issue on the ballot this fall.

But, even if their estimate - posted on the campaign's Web site - of 35,000 signatures is correct, that still leaves 57,000 to gather before April 9.

In February, the Legislature directed $35 million of Salt Lake County hotel-tax revenue toward land, parking and infrastructure for the stadium after county Mayor Peter Corroon opted out of a similar deal, deeming the stadium venture a risky investment.

Legislators and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr., who pushed the funding plan, "railroaded [Corroon] and everybody else," said Kathy Clayton, who is collecting signatures at her Sandy business, Butterfield Gardens.

"Now we're going to be paying for something that isn't viable year after year after year. The public isn't happy about it."

Clayton said at least a dozen people daily come into her business - located just northwest of the stadium site at 9256 S. State St. - to sign the referendum petition and pick up copies for others to sign.

Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, whose city has pledged another $10 million in property-tax increment toward the project, said petitioners have "misunderstood" the stadium deal.

The $35 million in hotel taxes "is not money that was intended to be spent on anything else other than what it was spent on," Dolan said.

The hotel-tax money has to be used for projects that promote tourism.

"If you had a poll or referendum [on every project public money is spent on], you'd be losing a lot of wonderful projects in Salt Lake County," such as Franklin Covey Field or the Salt Palace Convention Center expansion, Dolan added.

Sandy's plans to mail informational brochures on the stadium deal are on hold until it is known whether the petition drive is a success. By law, the city can't produce materials that could be construed as opposing the referendum attempt while it is under way, according to Sandy spokeswoman Trina Klingler.

"We are holding off until April 9" on sending out the mailers or holding town-hall meetings, Klingler said.

But RSL recently posted a Web site at http://www.rslstadium.com that touts the benefits of the public-private endeavor and gives details of the public-funding plan.

"We feel that people are misinformed," said RSL spokesman Eric Gelfand.

Unlike another petition drive to repeal Utah's new private-school-voucher program, the group opposing the stadium funding does not have a large, organized base of volunteers.

The grass-roots stadium effort was started by a group of co-workers at a Salt Lake City biotech firm and has enlisted several local businesses to display the petition.

Brad Swedlund, who is leading the effort, is on a 13-county tour this week, according to http://www.getrealutah.org. He is trying to satisfy the requirement that signatures pushing a referendum must come from 15 of Utah's 29 counties.

Scheduled to be in Price, Castle Dale, Ferron, Green River and Moab on Wednesday, he could not be reached for comment.

rwinters@sltrib.com