Some fans of Real stadium inked petition

Not everyone who signed the Real soccer petition was actually against the stadium: At least two of the petition signers are lawmakers who supported the deal in the House.

Rep. Phil Riesen, D-Salt Lake, and House Minority Leader Ralph Becker, D-Salt Lake, both voted in favor of the bill that sealed the state deal. But they also signed the petition offering voters the chance to overturn it.

"First and foremost, I'm a great believer in the referendum and initiative process," said Becker, a candidate for Salt Lake City mayor, speaking at a recent meet-the-candidates forum. "The people have a check on decisions that are made."

He said he believes the team will have "great value" for the Salt Lake area, and he voted for the deal because it included a number of conditions Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon wanted to place on it, such as Real's agreement to help fund a youth soccer academy.

Still, "I was thoroughly frustrated with the way that

process was handled by the Legislature," he said.

Riesen did not return a phone call Monday seeking comment.

Thousands of signatures were turned in last week to county clerks across the state for a voter referendum against the public dollars given to the team. Among the handful of local politicians who signed, many supported the public funding plan that gave Real Salt Lake $35 million in hotel-tax dollars for the team. Others have been against the deal from the get-go.

The Legislature approved the funding package in February, but if 92,000 signatures are certified, the matter could be voted on in state-wide balloting in either the February 2008 presidential primary or the November 2008 general election.

Through a request under the state's Government Records Access and Management Act, the Deseret Morning News read 341 packets of petition signatures of Salt Lake County residents. A final number of the certified signers will not be available until the state checks them, which should be completed on April 30.

Many Utahns were surprised to watch the Legislature step up to Real's aid days after Corroon shot down the funds for a third time in nearly a year. Corroon deemed it a risky investment, but state leaders supported the bill, forcing Salt Lake County's cut of hotel-tax dollars to be used for land and infrastructure at the site.

Corroon and numerous county employees and elected officials signed the petition, including council members Jenny Wilson, Marv Hendrickson and Mark Crockett.

"I didn't sign it because I'm against soccer or the soccer stadium," Corroon said. "I signed it primarily because I believe in matters like this, the citizens should have the ability to be heard and have a vote."