Voters will make the final decision as part of the busy general election in November.

The anti-gambling group Save Lakewood, which spent the past month seeking support from residents, needed 3,707 valid signatures to force city leaders to adopt their ban or put it to a public vote.

City Manager Andrew Neiditz got word from the county Monday that the measure had gathered enough signatures, and he shared the news later at the City Council meeting.

By Tuesday, the number of valid signatures had only grown. Pierce County Auditor Pat McCarthy confirmed that her office had rechecked all 6,333 signatures submitted by Save Lakewood, and 4,026 were deemed valid.

Lakewood leaders are now preparing to send the measure to the ballot, rather than adopt the ban outright.

Officials began discussing the official language of the ballot measure Monday and are speaking with residents who will write the official “for” and “against” statements for the voter guide.

At a special meeting next Monday, the Lakewood City Council will vote on whether to add the minicasino ban to the general election ballot.

The city is not allowed to take a stance on the cardroom measure, but it stands to lose about 8 percent of its general fund if the measure passes. Minicasinos generated $2.85 million in city gambling taxes last year.

Anti-gambling leader David Anderson said gathering signatures represents only the first few rounds of an election battle that is far from over. The group needs to win over at least 50 percent of voters who cast a ballot for its measure to pass. If this had been on the ballot in 2004, it would have required more than 12,000 “yes” votes.

Still, when The News Tribune told him the auditor’s final count Tuesday, the Tillicum resident said it was excellent news.

“This is a historic moment,” Anderson said. “On November 4, we’ll find out what people want their community to be.”

MANY EARLY SIGNATURES REJECTED

Frank Miller, the Tacoma attorney who represents Lakewood’s four remaining minicasinos, wasn’t available for comment Tuesday.

Save Lakewood members gathered signatures in supermarkets and on sidewalks in recent weeks. But just four days ago, it was unclear whether they had done enough to make the ballot.

Its members thought they had met the requirements after turning in some 5,000 signatures July 15; after a slow start in June, they had stirred up late support from local churches and the Korean American community.

But the Auditor’s Office determined that almost 40 percent of those signatures were invalid, due mostly to those who signed not being from Lakewood or not registered to vote.

After 10 more days collecting signatures, the group turned in another 1,100 last Friday.

A group of 20 or so Save Lakewood members attended Monday’s City Council meeting. A few could be overheard exchanging congratulations.

“I told you we weren’t going away,” Mandy Candler, the group’s treasurer, said to the City Council. “The only thing that’s changed about our all-volunteer, grass-roots group is that we’ve grown – and we’ve learned how to do things better.”

GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVE

Both sides of the debate will now spend the next three months trying to appeal to voters. The mood has grown testy the last two weeks, as both sides have complained that the other is using intimidation tactics on the campaign trail.

Save Lakewood’s efforts represent the first time residents have pursued an initiative drive since the city voted to allow initiatives and referendums two years ago.

It will also be one of the first local citizen initiatives to ban minicasinos in Washington. Residents in the City of Richland proposed a similar ban in 2002, but it was rejected by 65 percent of voters.

Brent Champaco: 253-597-8653