THE BUZZ IN CHARLOTTE: MORE PSLS, LESS TAXES?

          Charlotte officials are "working out a plan that could
     markedly lower the public cost of a proposed uptown arena --
     -and perhaps even cut property taxes slightly," according to
     Ames Alexander of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER.  City Council
     member Lynn Wheeler said the Hornets' charter season-ticket
     holders "may be asked" to pay a PSL fee for seats in a new
     building, "a charge that could yield up to $15 million." 
     Uptown business leaders "are asking the public to contribute
     about $49.5 million" toward the $158.5M arena.  Several
     council members "have said they'd like to lower the public
     cost by requiring the Hornets' charter members to pay for a
     permanent seat license."  Hornets Owner George Shinn has
     "strongly resisted charging such a fee," but Ed Brown, the
     NationsBank exec leading the campaign for the new arena,
     "doesn't rule out the idea" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 3/11).