Update: Judge Denies TRO For Roseville Group Seeking Referendum on Bonding For Fire Station, Park Projects

Update:

A Ramsey County District judge today (Monday) denied a Roseville citziens' group a temporary restraining order (TRO) to force the city to hold a voter referendum on whether to issue $10 million in bonds for a new fire station and a first round of park maintenance and improvement projects.

Judge John Guthmann also ruled that if the citizens' group, Responsible Governance For Roseville, wants to continue their case by challenging some state state statutes on city port authority powers that it must post a $675,000 bond by Dec. 5.

Jeremy Greenhouse, an attorney for the plaintiffs, had no immediate comment on the judge's decision on the TRO and also denial of a temporary injunction.

Meanwhile, a member of Responsbile Governance For Roseville said her group is reviewing its options.

"We haven't made any plans yet," said Joy Anderson, a  homemaker and grandmother who has lived in Roseville since the mid-1950s.

Asked whether she was disappointed with the judge's decision, Anderson said,"I am not discouraged. I am more disappointed with the (state) statutes the way the Legislature has created this web giving all this power to port authorities and takes away our right to vote."

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Original story published Thurdsay, Nov. 17:

A Roseville citizens' group has gone to court this week seeking to force the city to hold a voter referendum on whether to issue $10 million in bonds for a new fire station and the first round of municipal park improvement projects.

Responsible Governance For Roseville, in a lawsuit filed in Ramsey County District Court, alleges the City Council has exceeded it authority in planning to issue general obligation bonds for the projects without a voter referendum. The group is seeking a temporary restraining order to block the bond sale which is scheduled Nov.

A TRO hearing is scheduled for this coming Monday at Ramsey County District Court, said Jeremy Greenhouse, a plaintiffs' attorney.

"This (lawsuit) is not about a new fire station or the park projects but ultimately the city following a fair and open process in issuing these bonds," Greenhouse told Roseville Patch Thursday. 

Roseville City Manager Bill Malinen said Thursday the city has been served with the citizens' lawsuit and also its request for a temporary restraining order.

"The city attorneys are evaluating the complaint," Malinen told Roseville Patch. "We believe the City has acted properly and has the authority to proceed with the sale of bonds for the public purposes.  We intend to establish this at the upcoming hearing."

But Greenhouse maintains the city violated its community participation policy (from its 2011 annual budget) that provides "any expenditure of funds in excess of $3 million of local property tax dollars and which involves community facilities will be brought to the community in the form of a referendum."

The city, Greenhouse contended, "is going through an unsupportable loophole" in using port authority powers, which don't require a voter refernendum, to proceed with the fire station and park projects.

Joy Anderson, a member of the plaintiffs' group, said, "What we are hoping to accomplish is the right to vote on these huge expenditures. We weren't given the right to vote."

Currently, Anderson said her group is ciriculating a petition to try and force the city to hold a referendum. To date, the group has about 500 signatures, she said.

Based on Council action on a 3-2 vote last month, the city could ultimately issue up to $27 million in bonds for the new fire station and long-range park improvement projects over a projected 20 year period. That would include about $8 million for the fire station and $19 million for a myriad of park projects, from land acquisitions to restoring park shelters and other facilities.

The citizens' lawsuit stated that if Roseville proceeds with issuing $27 million in general obligation bonds for the fire state and long-range park improvement projects, that would mean a 350 percent increase over the city's current debt.

Anderson said that the new bonding, along with increases on utility rates, could mean up to a $440  increase in property taxes for a home valued at about $250,000.

"In these economic times, one really should have the people behind you when making these decisions," said Anderson, a homemaker and grandmother who has lived in Roseville since the mid-1950s.