Scottsdale- Opponents of Scottsdale’s new tougher strip club ordinance have officially launched a referendum drive to force a public vote on the regulations, which topless bar owners say would shut them down.

On Friday, paperwork was filed with City Clerk Carolyn Jagger to create Citizens Against Bad Government, a political committee that aims to overturn revisions to the city’s Sexually Oriented Business ordinance.

The committee is to run a signature-gathering effort that would place the revisions on an upcoming ballot.

To force a vote, the committee must collect at least 3,384 signatures from Scottsdale voters by Jan. 11, city records state. Dave Rajput, listed as a personal trainer at LA Fitness, is the committee’s chairman.

Last week, the City Council unanimously approved measures to restrict strippers from performing within 4 feet of patrons and alter Scottsdale’s definition of “nude.” That definition forbids performances where dancers fully bare their breasts or genitals.

The city’s topless bars, Babe’s Cabaret and Skin Cabaret, contend the space requirement eliminates half of their available seating while the nude provision violates the First Amendment.

They also complain they were left out of the drafting phase of the regulations because there was no public outreach before the council action.

The regulations are to take effect March 13.

If the committee succeeds in forcing a vote, the ordinance would not be enforceable until after the election, City Attorney Deborah Robberson said.

Attorneys for adult film star Jenna Jameson, who owns a quarter share of Babe’s, have vowed to file suit against Scottsdale, alleging the city is discriminating against their client.

Todd Borowsky, Skin’s owner, began work on the referendum last week with his attorneys. He is asking the opponents of the regulations to sign petitions at his strip club.

While Jameson distributed a news release Dec. 13, the day after the council vote, announcing that she would organize a referendum drive, to this point the actual work has been done by Borowsky and his lawyer, John Weston.