RAMCO sales tax ban (maybe) back on the table
The Ramsey County Charter Commission, which decided against putting a proposed stadium tax on the ballot, has the issue back on its agenda on Monday.
But it isn't clear if the 17-member panel is going to take another run at the issue.
Commissioner Rod Halvorson, with a parliamentary fake-out at the end, joined the 10-6 vote against his own proposal last month, making him eligible to ask for reconsideration.
Now, he's exercised that option: Halvorson has asked to put the matter back on the commission agenda for the Nov. 14 meeting. But Halvorson's not saying IF he'll actually ask for another vote.
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In an email followup to coverage of the meeting, Halvorson has added this:
"Under the procedures of the open meetings' law, an agenda must be published in advance of the Charter Commission meeting Monday night. Therefore, I notified the Commission staff of my right to bring up a motion to reconsider the charter amendment that I proposed at our last meeting. Now that the issue is on the agenda, I would be allowed to make such a motion and also offer an amended version of my charter amendment. I have not yet decided on what action I will take Monday night."
The point may be moot, since in essence, he may have already won: the attention the Ramsey County Charter Commission brought on the referendum issue this fall may have played a factor in the state's decision to rule out a sales tax hike for a Vikings stadium.