Common Cause Georgia calls for referendum over Braves stadium...

Common Cause Georgia, a watchdog group which led opposition to the Atlanta Falcons stadium deal, have now officially taken another stadium fight.

The group is calling on Cobb County officials to hold a public referendum over plans to build a new Atlanta Braves stadium near I-285 and I-75. Cobb County is proposing to use $300 million in taxpayer dollars to fund the $672 million project.

William Perry, executive director of Common Cause, said the group is asking for a referendum so that voters have an opportunity to weigh in on the use of public money. He criticized the speed of the deal as Cobb County commissioners are set to vote Nov. 26, about two weeks after news broke of the team’s plans to move.

Perry acknowledged the referendum is a long-shot and said the group is also pushing for the vote to be delayed to allow for public hearings.

“I think even people who are 100 percent supportive of the Braves moving to Cobb County … pause when a deal like this is done in the dark and so quickly.”

Common Cause made headlines throughout the year for its opposition to the use of hotel-motel tax revenue to partially fund the $1.2 billion Atlanta Falcons stadium. The group held an unsuccessful petition drive to place the issue on the ballot in this month’s local elections.

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