Senate Oks Bill For M’S Stadium

The Senate approved a “Save the Mariners” bill Wednesday that passes the buck to the Metropolitan King County Council and possibly to the voters.

The plan would allow the council to raise the sales tax in King County from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent to pay for a new retractable roof stadium.

However, if the council were to approve the tax it would be subject to a challenge through a citizeninitiated referendum. To qualify the challenge for a public vote, sponsors of a referendum would have to collect the signatures of at least 39,500 registered voters within 30 days after council action.

The proposed tax increase would raise $27 million a year, enough to pay not only for a new baseball stadium but also for the already completed repairs to the Kingdome roof and in later years provide about $7 million for Kingdome maintenance and operation.

The Mariners now play ball in the Kingdome, but say they cannot make a profit in that stadium and that they will not renew their lease when it expires next year.