Minneapolis NAACP member invokes Legal Action against the new People's Stadium

Doug Mann, perennial Minneapolis School Board candidate and candidate for Minneapolis mayor last fall and a life-long  member of the Minneapolis NAACP started a pro se action last summer to compel a city-wide referendum on the new Viking stadium finance package:

• Mann said he will file his petition for a writ of mandamus that seeks a public referendum on use of city sales taxes to help finance the edifice, as authorized by the Legislature.
• He wants the court to order that the city follow a provision of its charter that requires voter approval when more than $10 million in city funds are spent on an athletic facility.  The city is expected to note that the legislation overrides that charter provision.
• The city will finance its portion of the stadium using a suite of sales taxes – a citywide sales tax, downtown restaurant and liquor taxes and a hotel tax. Those taxes currently pay for the city’s convention center, but money will be freed up when debt on that facility is paid in 2020.The total city subsidy is $309 million, or $678 million when accounting for interest over the life of the deal.
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Well, the city did “note” the override, and the Hennepin County District ruled that both Mann and the city were right. It did violate the charter, but the state overrode the charter with the stadium legislation. That decision is now on appeal.

Phone lines will be open to ask the question: Will the Minneapolis membership of the NAACP stand behind Mr. Doug Mann, or wait for a payoff from the MSFA?