King County councilmember criticizes Mariners’ $180M ask
Jul 30, 2018, 8:13 AM | Updated: 12:55 pm
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
(AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove believes the decision they make over whether to provide $180 million in taxpayer money to the Seattle Mariners will test the council’s values.
“The Mariners are a billion dollar for-profit business that has generated enormous wealth for a small group of private owners. This business can and should continue to pay for the upkeep of the baseball stadium. This business is the sole tenant of the facility—which was already built for them largely with taxpayer funds,” Upthegrove said ahead of a committee hearing on Monday.
The $180 million in question comes from the King County hotel/motel tax. King County Executive Dow Constantine previously proposed allocating the money for field upkeep and improvements.
Last week, The Seattle Weekly reported the Mariners organization will not renew its Safeco Field lease without the taxpayer money.
Some members of the King County Council argue the $180 million should be used to help curb the housing affordability problem.
“The choice before us is whether to spend $185 million in taxpayer money to further increase the profits of a small group of business owners, or whether we spend these funds on a public purpose that benefits the people of King County,” Upthegrove said. “State law is absolutely clear that these funds can be spent on affordable housing, services for homeless youth, and actual tourism promotion that generates a greater economic benefit throughout King County.
“The decision we make will be a statement of our values and a test of whether our political process can work for all people, not just the privileged few.”
Earlier this year, the Washington State Major League Baseball Public Facilities District approved terms of a new lease with the Mariners for Safeco Field. As part of the 25-year agreement, the Mariners would pay 100 percent of maintenance and operations costs at the stadium.
The Mariners’ lease expires at the end of this year.
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