I spent the afternoon reading the Local Government Code, Title 10, Subtitle C, Chapter 334, “Sports and Community Venues.” It’s as much of a page-turner as the name suggests.
Having read it, I don’t see how any reasonable person could think that a municipality could approve a sports venue without an election. A reasonable person would have to be willful to misinterpret the sections of the code that explicitly call for an election to approve a new sports venue, and then explicitly state the language required on the ballot.
I’m no lawyer, but I read English. You can read the code here, and decide for yourself.
Update: Didn’t I tell you I’m no lawyer? But I think it comes down to the line between Home Rule and the State’s power to regulate local government. I’m going to look into that.
Where’s Carl Starr when you need him?