Over 40,400 Signatures Submitted During Drive
Annapolis, Maryland (March 5, 2010) – The coalition of petitioners, comprised of dozens of community and civic groups and the Maryland Jockey Club, one of the largest employers in the County, today submitted 16,702 additional signatures to the Anne Arundel County Board of Elections in support of a referendum to allow County citizens to vote on whether to permit zoning for the State’s largest slots casino at the Arundel Mills Mall.
The signatures submitted today, coupled with the 13,136 signatures which the County Board of Elections validated last month from 23,702 presented, will far exceed the 18,790 validated signatures necessary to place the zoning ordinance on the November ballot.
“Neither two blizzards nor a baseless lawsuit by a casino developer could stop the extraordinary will and tireless efforts of County residents to place the slots zoning ordinance on the ballot,” said Rob Annicelli, president of the citizens group “Stop Slots at Arundel Mills.” “Filing the baseless lawsuit is just another example of the kind of intimidating and bullying tactics that certain advocates of the zoning ordinance have employed. The people of Anne Arundel County really resent those kinds of intentionally intimidating and threatening tactics.”
“People want the issue on the ballot,” said Heather Ford, coalition coordinator for “Citizens Against Slots at the Mall.” “These kinds of petition drives are very difficult but our validation rate has run over 55%, which is rather remarkable. We attribute this amazing effort to the immense opposition to the zoning ordinance and to the obvious interest of County citizens to put this issue on the November ballot.”
According to Tom Chuckas, president of the Maryland Jockey Club, “This has been a coalition in the truest sense of the word where the tireless efforts of the many volunteer petition gatherers and the professionalism of a well-respected petition gathering company obtained 40,000 signatures throughout Anne Arundel County. While the lawsuit challenges less than two dozen of those signatures, I have every expectation that PPE’s claims will be defended vigorously. I can say without hesitation that the entire process has been extremely well vetted and reflects the will of those who signed the petition.”
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