By Lisa Halverstadt
The Arizona Republic
Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett is backing a group that aims to reverse Glendale’s sales-tax hike.
The issue is closely watched because proceeds from the tax will help Glendale pay for a 20-year, $324 million lease agreement that could keep the Coyotes in Glendale.
In a brief filed this week, the secretary of state asked the Arizona Court of Appeals to overturn a Maricopa County Superior Court judge’s ruling, which said that the Glendale city clerk had grounds to boot the proposed measure from the November ballot. The brief was filed jointly by the Secretary of State’s Office and the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
In court papers, Glendale has argued that a summary statement for the measure mislead voters who signed the petition.