Boston 2024 Will Seek Public Vote

(ATR) The fate of Boston 2024 rests with Massachusetts voters.

On Mar. 24 Boston 2024 chair John Fish told the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce the bid would seek a binding statewide public referendum on Nov. 16, 2016.

The United States Olympic Committee told Around the Ringsthat they believe the citizens of Boston deserve to say if they support the vision of Boston 2024, and "fully support" the idea of a referendum.

"We believe that Boston can and should lead America's bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games," Patrick Sandusky, USOC chief communications and public affairs officer, told ATRin a statement.

"Great achievements are often preceded by great skepticism. The vision for these Games is sound and they would be a powerful catalyst for growth and progress in Massachusetts. But that vision must be shared by the citizens and for that reason we fully support the notion of a referendum."

If a majority of support is not gathered from the referendum, then Boston 2024 will not bid for the Olympics.

Currently, national Olympic committees are required to inform the IOC of bidding cities by Sept. 15 of this year, but it is not uncommon for cities to drop out after that date.

"The IOC doesn't want to come to Boston if Boston doesn't want the Olympics," Fish said to the Chamber of Commerce as reported by the Boston Herald.

"We will collect the signatures. We will organize the efforts needed, and we will look forward to the results on the ballot in 2016. What we will commit to is, if the statewide referendum passes but the voting bloc in Boston doesn't want the Olympics, we won't host the Olympics."

The referendum coincides with a presidential election in the United States, which would generate higher turnout than elections in 2015.

Public support in Boston is at its lowest since the bid was announced in January by the United States Olympic Committee. The latest poll from public radio affiliate WBUR showed only 36 percent support of city residents.

On Mar. 23, Boston mayor Marty Walsh said that if a ballot question were to happen, he would support the "will of the voter." Walsh stopped short of expressing support for a referendum, but said he welcomed dialogue on the issue.

Fish told the Boston Herald after his speech that the USOC was "supportive" of the decision to hold a referendum.

"If [the USOC] weren't supportive, I'm not sure I would have made the recommendation or had the conversation with the mayor or the governor," Fish said.

"It's going to take more effort; it's going to take more time. [The referendum] is putting everything on the line."

Main opposition group No Boston Olympics said they are "glad to see Boston 2024 embrace that idea after months of rejecting it," in a statement.

"We hope to work constructively with Boston 2024 to craft language that accurately and fully reflects the difficult choice facing our commonwealth," No Boston Olympics said.

"We need to ask voters if taxpayers should be on the hook if things don't go according to Boston 2024's plan."

Written by Aaron Bauer

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