information from the King County Council

King County Councilmember Dave Upthegrove is announcing opposition to a controversial stadium funding proposal announced today that earmarks about $180 million public dollars for Safeco Field over the next two decades:

“The proposal to earmark roughly $180 million in public funds for Safeco Field is the wrong priority. The Seattle Mariners are a profitable, private company that can and should pay their own expenses.

“We have an affordability crisis in our region and this money would be better spent on affordable housing and getting homeless kids off the street. It is outrageous that we’re considering spending $180 million public dollars to benefit a single business instead of folks who are struggling to get by.

“The proposal correctly notes the county is already spending the required minimum of hotel/motel taxes on housing, but that clearly isn’t enough. Yet we are now on the cusp of taking around $180 million dollars that could be used to help families and homeless kids and instead choosing to give it to a professional sports stadium.”

A release announcing the proposal incorrectly states that 25-percent of the hotel/motel tax must be spent on tourism. Under state law, funds generated by the hotel/motel tax must be spent on specific issues but only requires that at least 37.5-percent to be spent on arts/culture and at least 37.5-percent to be spent on housing with just the remainder spent on tourism.

For example, the county could choose to spend 55-percent on affordable housing, 38-percent on arts/culture, and the remaining 7-percent on tourism. Nowhere does the law state that 25-percent must be earmarked for tourism, such as stadium upgrades. 

The measure will now be up for deliberation at the King County Council.