Ramsey County residents with strong feelings about the possibility of a new countywide tax funding a Minnesota Vikings stadium in Arden Hills will get their two minutes of fame tonight.

The Ramsey County Charter Commission is hosting the first of two public hearings on proposed ballot language that could possibly go before voters in November 2012. The language would ask whether they favor writing a ban into the charter – the county’s constitution of sorts – against using sales tax revenue to build professional sports stadiums.

The hearing is likely to generate strong opinions on both sides, though charter commission chairman Richard Sonterre said it will not be organized as a debate and the commission will take no action tonight. Anyone booing or cheering will be asked to be quiet or leave the room.

The hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the New Brighton Community Center. A second hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 11 in the third-floor chambers at the Ramsey County Courthouse in St. Paul.

Sonterre said each resident who chooses to speak will be expected to provide his or her name and address and will be allowed to make remarks once, for up to two minutes.

Ramsey County residents will receive priority, and non-county residents will be able to say their piece if time allows. If all the county residents in attendance have been heard, the hearing will close within about two hours, he said.

The 17-member charter commission will vote on whether to proceed with a November 2012 ballot referendum at or before its next regularly scheduled meeting Nov. 14.

Art Coulson, a spokesman for Ramsey County, said the Board of Commissioners – which is a separate body from the charter commission – would have no power to prevent the question from getting to voters unless the ballot language called for something illegal that trumped state law, such as legalizing marijuana.

It’s unclear what impact a referendum would have a year from now, as some suspect a stadium decision will be made by then.

The Vikings’ current $1.1 billion stadium proposal calls for $350 million in county money, generated by a 0.5 percent countywide sales tax, on top of $300 million from the state and the balance coming from the team. The proposal exempts the sales tax from a public referendum, which state law requires for such revenue measures.

It’s uncertain whether Gov. Mark Dayton will call a special legislative session this year for lawmakers to vote on a stadium package, as negotiations are ongoing.

A “risk analysis” from the Metropolitan Council examining the Arden Hills site – on the old Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant – is expected by mid-October.

Frederick Melo can be reached at 651-228-2172.