A DETROIT NEWS poll of 400 Wayne County voters over the last
two days reveals 58% support a 1% hotel tax and a 2% rental car
tax to help finance the new stadiums for the Tigers and Lions. A
Wayne County Commission vote to place the $80M tax proposal on
the November 5 ballot is expected today. Deputy Wayne County
Executive Mike Duggan: "The division between the city and
suburbs on issues has been frustrating. It looks like we have an
issue here that city and suburbs can come together on." Survey
results show that 48% of voters would be "more likely to attend a
game in Detroit than Pontiac" (Charlie Cain, DETROIT NEWS, 8/22).
MOTOWN NEWS: Basheda & Linsalata of the DETROIT NEWS report
that Memphis-based Harrah's Entertainment owns options to buy
four properties within the proposed complex site. Harrah's VP
Tom Morgan said the company has not yet decided what to do with
the options -- purchased in '95 when city officials were hoping
to gain approval for casinos in Detroit. Detroit attorney Alan
Ackerman agreed the purchase rights "enhance the value of the
land," but said he felt Harrah's will not stall the stadiums
because of "political reasons." In another news, the city's
Downtown Development Authority approved a legal memorandum
outlining financial details of the $505M plan. One new item is
that the Detroit Wayne County Stadium Authority will receive
$250,000 a year from Lions' concession sales (DETROIT NEWS,
8/22).
