The King County Stadium Alternatives Task Force met Wednesday
in Seattle and "endorsed a new home for the Mariners." The plan
calls for "35% to 45% financing by private money and the rest from
a combination of user taxes" -- such as admission fees, car-rental
taxes, and a tax on alcohol and tobacco. But before the vote
could be cast, Ron Sims, Vice Chair of the County Council's Fiscal
Management Committee, said that any increase in tax "should be
approved at the polls." Other county officials agreed saying that
although people want the Mariners to stay, it's going to take a
lot of public support. Within the next week King County Exec Gary
Locke will put together a "meeting of political leaders" from the
County Council, Seattle City Council, state Legislature and
Governor's office. Locke "acknowledged a major selling job will
be required to convince legislators the state should support the
stadium plan." The Mariners have said that "unless ground is
broken for a new stadium by 1996, they will not sign a new lease
to keep the team in Seattle." The team's current lease at the
Kingdome expires in '96 (Bill Knight, SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER,
1/12).
