The second half of the public hearing on whether Ramsey County residents should be able to vote on a stadium tax begins at 6:30 tonight at the Ramsey County Courthouse in downtown St. Paul and the Ramsey County Charter Commission could decide immediately after the hearing whether to put the issue to voters in 2012. The Minnesota Vikings stadium plans ran into solid opposition at the first hearing last month, which drew about 200 people as most of the speakers said they wanted a referendum so they could vote down a stadium tax. The plan calls for building a $1.1 billion Vikings stadium on a former munitions site in Arden Hills, dividing the cost among the developers, the state and the county. The county's contribution of $350 million would be funded through a half-cent sales tax increase. The ballot question is perceived as being a potential deal killer and is opposed by the Vikings. Source: Star-Tribune
