The landowner granted a rezoning request by the Pinal County Board of Supervisors is now challenging a referendum that would take the issue to the voting booth, claiming that 5,900 signatures were delivered too late.

        On June 1, Gilbert Hoyos, Pinal County Director of Elections,  told the citizen group that initiated the petition he had consulted with the Pinal County Attorney's Office in deciding that the referendum petitions were due on July 2. 

       Anam claims that the petitions should have been filed 30 days after the May 16 rezoning hearing and that Hoyos was in error when he told the citizen group the due date for filing the referendum petitions was July 2. 

       A  letter to Hoyos dated July 5, from the Tucson offices of Snell & Wilmer, the law firm retained by Anam Inc., informs Hoyos that,  ". . . no county, county agency, nor any officer or employee of the county, nor any agent of the county, is authorized to extend the period required by law for the filing of referendum petitions."

       The letter from the Anam attorneys prompted Hoyos to seek legal advice from the Office of the Pinal County Attorney. 

       Hoyos has until next Wednesday, July 11 to determine whether or not he will reject the citizens' petitions based on Anam's allegation. 

       In a letter dated July 9, Pinal County Attorney Robert Carter Olsen requested that Anne Graham-Bergin, the attorney representing the citizen group that initiated the referendum, provide input to the issue by noon Wednesday, July 11.

       A recent advertisement by Pinal County Supervisor Lionel D. Ruiz claims that the Anam project was "the best development" Ruiz has "ever seen."   Ruiz says he paid for the ad out of his own pocket.

       In his ad, Pinal County Supervisor Ruiz claimed that the office of the Pinal County Attorney had failed to notify the supervisors of over 13 alleged violations of the Pinal Zoning Ordinance by Anam prior to the supervisors approving Anam's rezoning request.

       More to follow as the story develops.