KING COUNTY PUTS CAP ON SPENDING FOR STADIUM, VOTE TODAY

     A King County committee revised the proposal negotiated
between a county executive and the Mariners on Wednesday, capping
the amount taxpayers will spend on a retractable dome at $240.8M.
Heath Foster of the Tacoma NEWS TRIBUNE writes that the revision,
and several others increase "the likelihood the full 13-member
council will support" the plan in a vote today.  Other
amendments: the proposed .1 cent sales tax will also pay off the
$70M debt for the repair of the Kingdome and make $100M in
Kingdome improvements for the Seahawks; the county will not
contribute to the cost of designing the stadium -- estimated at
$5M-$10M; and the county will not pay for any construction
overruns.  Mariners Pres. John Ellis argued against saying his
team will lose $15M a year until a new park opens in '99 and that
the their investment in the park will top $250M (NEWS TRIBUNE,
7/20).