Petition to put Rock Creek Entertainment District to a vote of the people moves forward

NORMAN, Okla. (KOKH) — Norman citizens gained enough signatures to put an entertainment district plan to a vote.

The Norman city clerk certified over 10,000 signatures gathered in a petition on Wednesday.

Some citizens against the Rock Creek Entertainment District are unhappy with how much taxpayers would spend to fund a new district, which would include a new arena for OU basketball and gymnastics. Norman city councilors approved the plan in September.

SEE ALSO:Over 11,000 signatures collected to challenge Norman council’s TIF decision

The number of signatures required for a referendum petition is 25% of the number of votes cast in the last general municipal election.

That election was April 5, 2022, and the number of voters was 24,393, meaning petition organizers needed just 6,098 signatures. A total of 10,689 signatures was verified by the Norman city clerk and the petition “appears to be sufficient”the clerk sent in a letter to petitioners.

Legal notice must now be posted in the Norman Transcript on Sunday, November 10th. There will be a 10-day protest period after that publication. Protestors can object to the number of signatures, eligibility of those who signed the petition, ballot title, and the appropriateness of the subject matter.

SEE ALSO:Norman, OU leaders tout new district as catalyst for city growth, despite concerns

If a protest is filed, the District Court will have to set a date for a hearing 10 days afterward. After the hearing, a judge will decide whether the petition will move on to a vote.

If the petition is ultimately sufficient, it will go to a vote of the people of Norman on February 11, 2025.