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As the Charlotte City Council prepares to debate a proposed $900 million capital spending plan, it’s also struggling with whether to subsidize a new uptown stadium for the Charlotte Knights.
A vote on a subsidy for the team to build the stadium was slated for May 14, but was pushed back as city staff tries to find a plan palatable to a majority of council members.
Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Cannon, a Democrat, said this week he wants the stadium to be built. But he said a $2.5 million property tax rebate for the AAA baseball team should be dropped from city plans.
“That can’t be served up,” Cannon said.
The current city plan is to pay the Knights $8.5 million, with $6 million coming from a hotel/motel occupancy tax that’s dedicated toward tourism. The proposal also includes an additional $2.5 million over 20 years, in the form of a 90 percent rebate on the city property taxes they are expected to pay for their stadium.
One difficulty with that plan, Cannon said, is that the council is considering a property-tax increase to pay for the $926 million capital plan. He wants to the see the private sector help pay for the stadium.
Republican council member Warren Cooksey has said he is on the fence about the stadium deal, but has said he might support a plan with no property-tax revenue in it.
Democrat James Mitchell, who chairs the council’s economic development committee, said Wednesday he’s OK with the current $8.5 million plan.
Deputy City Manager Ron Kimble, the city’s point person on baseball discussions, said in an email last week that “baseball continues to be examined from a funding standpoint.”
Mecklenburg County is leasing land to the team at $1 per year. That land is valued at $20 million. The county is also making $8 million in infrastructure improvements for the ballpark.
