Field of Schemes
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July 23, 2004

If you vote against it, will they spend anyway?

St. Louis' Coalition Against Public Funding for Stadiums is nearing its goal of 24,268 petition signatures to get a referendum on the November ballot to block the use of county money for a new Cardinals stadium, but it's still an open question as to whether such a vote would have the desired effect. Here's the scenario:

Last December, St. Louis County approved a $45 million loan - to be paid out annually out of hotel/motel taxes - to the Cardinals' owners, to be used in funding a planned $387.5 million stadium. (Another $85 million is coming from the city and state.) The Cards must pay off the loan, with interest, in 30 years - unless they choose instead to turn over ownership of the stadium to the county, which, given the book value of 30-year-old stadium, they almost certainly will do.

The planned referendum would amend the county charter to say that "no financial assistance may be provided by or on behalf of the county to the development of a professional sports facility" without voter approval. The referendum's backers say this would block the county from making its annual payments to the Cardinals without a public vote every year; county officials contend that the money was already "provided" last year, and the annual payments are just the county living up to a prior commitment. Regardless of what happens in November, this one seems destined to be decided by the courts.

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