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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

State Funding For New Seahawks Stadium Improbable

Associated Press

Legislative leaders say King County Council members should consider a general tax increase - and not depend on state money - to help finance a new stadium for the Seattle Seahawks.

County Council members, however, ruled out such a tax hike.

“Not in a thousand lifetimes,” said Christopher Vance, a Republican who heads the council’s budget committee.

Vance was responding to comments Tuesday by House Speaker Clyde Ballard, R-East Wenatchee, and other GOP lawmakers, who said the county shouldn’t plan on going to the Legislature.

“There will be no (state) general fund money going to a new stadium,” Ballard said.

Under a state law enacted in 1995, any county can form a public facilities district, an independent taxing authority that can seek a public vote on property or general sales taxes to finance sports, entertainment and convention projects.

“That, to me, is a fine option,” Ballard said.

But Louise Miller, vice chairwoman of the council, suggested it was odd for Ballard to lead a move to cut property taxes in the Legislature while suggesting the county should raise property or sales taxes.

Paul Allen, a billionaire co-founder of Microsoft Corp., has said he would exercise his option to buy the Seahawks from Ken Behring only if an open-air football stadium is built with some public funding.