taxpayer funded development

With the turn of the New Year, new initiatives will take the stage and petitioners will hit the streets to rally support for their causes. The causes are as varied as they can be and both local and state-wide issues.  With some already submitted and others in the planning stages, initiatives for many hot-button issues will be championed and fought against in 2014.

In Oregon, an initiative attempting to strike down the state’s gay marriage ban:
http://www.pqmonthly.com/two-court-cases-ballot-initiative-one-big-goal/18148

In Oklahoma, two initiatives advocated by a city councilman to prohibit use of sales tax revenue for new buildings:

A ballot initiative aimed at blocking city ownership of a proposed $500 million hotel narrowly failed Saturday. Another measure that would have forced a vote on decisions to give over $1million in taxpayer money to private developers failed as well.

Read the story from the Dallas Morning News

With the economy in a downward spiral, it may seem like poor timing to ask taxpayers for money to repair aging school buildings, expand suburban libraries and build parks.

But more than a dozen communities in Metro Detroit are doing just that Tuesday when they hold elections asking voters to approve millions in school bonds and higher municipal tax rates for projects.

Read more at Detroit News

A union that is sponsoring two Las Vegas ballot measures has asked the state Supreme Court to hear its case to place the measures on the June ballot. The city council had refused to put the measures on the ballot, claiming they were unconstitutional. A county judge agreed with the council. The measures aim to require a vote on taxpayer funded development projects and block a proposed city hall project.

Read the story from the Las Vegas Review-Journal

The battle over two ballot measures dealing with the city’s redevelopment authority and a new city hall went the Nevada Supreme Court Tuesday. City officials have refused to place the measures on the ballot because they claim they are unconstitutional. The Culinary Union, sponsor of the two initiatives, filed suit arguing that the city does not have the authority to hold the measures off the ballot. The court is expected to rule by April 22.