Ballpark Vote Sure To Displease Many

Whichever way the Metropolitan King County Council votes, someone’s sure to be angry.

The 13-member council was to decide today whether to authorize $336 million in bonds for a new Mariners ballpark and parking garage. Council members know it’s a closely watched issue.

“This has been the worst of all possible worlds,” says Councilman Chris Vance, chairman of the budget committee. “We’ve got everybody angry at us.”

At least four of the 13 members are expected to vote no, but most observers expect the bonds to win majority approval.

Among the council opponents is Maggi Fimia, who is supporting an initiative drive to put the bond issues of more than $50 million to a public advisory vote.

“If this is such a great deal, let the public vote on it,” Fimia says.

Fimia was among several hundred people attending a rally Saturday at a waterfront hotel ballroom to gather signatures on the initiative. The rally was sponsored in part by the anti-stadium group Citizens for More Important Things.