The WA Legislature passed a bill Saturday that will split
the cost of a $320M ballpark for the Mariners between the state,
King County and the team. Finals approval now rests with the
King County Council, scheduled to vote on its $169M share. The
TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE reports "several council members are talking
as if they won't adopt the local-option taxes" that are part of
the deal. The bill gives the county the option to raise sales
tax on food and beverages, rental cars and admissions at the
ballpark, but does not allow them any money to pay for the
repairs and possible renovations for the Kingdome. The Council
is scheduled to vote on its share October 23. If they fail to
approve the state's bill, Mariners ownership says they will put
the club up for sale, possibly to buyers who will move the team
(TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE, 10/15).
DETAILS: The vote passed by a minimum in the Senate, with
25 of the 49 members approving. In the House, the bill passed
66-24. The state will fund $109M of the cost of the ballpark
through a 20-year loan paid off by $7-14M annual payments. Those
funds will come mostly through existing tax revenue generated by
the team, and possibly through scratch-lottery games and
baseball-themed license plate sales. The club's $45M
contribution could include the sale of naming rights for the new
ballpark (TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE, 10/15).
POLITICAL HARDBALL: King County Council members generally
were negative about the proposal's chances of passing. Chair
Kent Pullen: "I'm a very good vote-counter, and I would say the
chances of this package passing are between very, very, very slim
and none." Council members are upset that Republican legislators
refused to include Kingdome repairs in the financing. The NEWS
TRIBUNE reports many state lawmakers said baseball was the only
reason they were attending the special session, and that one
reason to refuse Kingdome repairs "was political bad blood"
between state and county lawmakers (TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE, 10/15).
In this morning's SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, Michael Paulson
notes, in the end, WA Gov. Mike Lowry and Democratic leaders "got
the stadium they wanted. But Republican leaders got to design
much of the financing package." Paulson notes the bill "is a
nightmare" for the County Council, and "a setback for the
Seahawks." Paulson writes if the County Council rejects the
package, it will be their fault when the M's are put up for sale"
(SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, 10/16).
