In spaceport defeat, Georgia county blames `bare minority'

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Georgia county officials Wednesday blamed a “bare minority" for forcing a referendum in which voters defeated plans to buy land for a commercial rocket launch pad by a margin of nearly 3-to-1.

Commissioners in coastal Camden County said they were weighing options the day after an overwhelming majority of voters in a special election supported halting efforts to develop a spaceport for sending satellites into space. The county at the Georgia-Florida line has spent the past decade and $10.3 million pursuing the project.

“Camden County is assessing the results of last night’s outcome on the future of Spaceport Camden and is working to determine the best way to preserve taxpayers’ investment," commissioners said in a statement Wednesday.

Commissioners gave no indication they plan to abandon their pursuit of a spaceport despite unofficial returns showing 72% of voters opposed buying 4,000 acres (1,600 hectares) for the launch pad and related facilities. The county elections board said 17% of registered voters cast ballots.

Attorneys for Camden County have gone to court seeking to have the election declared invalid. They argue Georgia's constitution does not allow voters to veto the spaceport project by calling a referendum. An emergency motion by the county seeking to halt certification of the vote until the legal case gets decided was pending Wednesday before the Georgia Supreme Court.

“The ability of a bare minority of registered voters to trigger a referendum election is among the key issues" for the courts to decide, the commissioners' statement said.

Camden County officials say the spaceport would bring economic growth not just from rocket launches, but also by attracting related industries as well as tourists to the community of 55,000 people.

.

..