BY LUCY MAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Broadway Commons backers now have more than 25,387 signatures and are moving closer - every minute - to putting the stadium issue on the November ballot in Hamilton County.
"There is no question," said Jim Tarbell during a reception Wednesday night at The Phoenix, downtown. "We will reach 26,800 signatures."
To get the stadium question on November's ballot, the Broadway Commons group must submit 26,800 valid signatures of registered Hamilton County voters. It appears the backers of the Broadway Commons site will surpass the needed signatures this weekend. But Mr. Tarbell urged the group to push on to obtain a 20 percent cushion, in the likelihood some signatures are ruled invalid.
"We don't know if we have the insurance ," Mr. Tarbell said. "We're being updated minute by minute."
The group wants Hamilton County to build a new Reds ballpark at Broadway and Reading Road. To do that, the group wants to create a county charter requiring any new Major League Baseball stadium be built at Broadway Commons.
Broadway fans insist the charter would make no other changes in county government.
The Broadway enthusiasts plan to submit the petitions to a Hamilton County commissioner Sunday, said City Councilman Todd Portune, one of the leaders of the effort.
Mr. Portune said there's no question in his mind that the issue will be on the ballot.
"It's really a credit to the organization as well as the strong public sentiment on this issue," he said.
But opponents of the push, such as Mr. Bedinghaus, argue the vote would establish a county charter that could give county government far broader powers than it now has.
John Hopkins contributed to this report.
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