Douglas County District Attorney Charles Branson is investigating whether the City Commission violated the state’s open meeting law as part of a process authorizing a tax rebate for a local company.

Branson’s office has received three complaints alleging that city commissioners violated the Kansas Open Meetings Act when it held a closed-door executive session last month to discuss a contract that would give a first-of-its-kind tax rebate to Deciphera Pharmaceuticals.

Branson said he had delivered a letter to City Hall Thursday afternoon directing city leaders to provide a written response to the allegations. The city has until Wednesday to provide the information to Branson.

The alleged violations could threaten the approximately $3 million incentives package that the city, county and local economic development organizations have offered to Deciphera to keep the promising start-up company in town.

Branson said if a violation is proven to have occurred, the agreement that was approved by city commissioners last week could be declared null and void. Branson said state law allows for that remedy, but his office would have to decide whether to seek it. The law also allows for a $500 fine.

Grassroots Action, a local political activism group that filed one of the complaints, is seeking to have the agreement declared null and void, and to have the process on the incentive package restarted and discussed as part of a public meeting.