Aug 29, 2006 4:44 pm US/Central
Hennepin County Board Approves Ballpark Sales Tax
Minneapolis (AP) ―
The Minnesota Twins brushed past the final formality in their quest for a new ballpark on Tuesday, as the Hennepin County Board approved a sales tax increase to pay most of the cost.
The 4-3 vote was expected, as none of the board members shifted from their earlier positions for or against the project.
"It's a giant step towards the completion of the process," said Jerry Bell, the Twins executive who has led the team's 11-year push for a new stadium.
The county levy will go up by 0.15 percent, which works out to an additional 3 cents on a $20 purchase.
Though Tuesday's outcome was expected, several protesters were on hand to vent their anger that it was done without a referendum.
Some carried signs with such slogans as "Make Carl Pohlad use his own money" and "Let US vote." Some wore T-shirts reading "No taxation without representation -- except in Hennepin County."
Commissioners voted along gender lines, with Randy Johnson, Mark Stenglein, Mike Opat and Peter McLaughlin in favor and Penny Steele, Gail Dorfman and Linda Koblick against.
Koblick said the decision should have been left up to county voters, and called the tax the most divisive issue she's seen in 12 years in office.
"It's not about baseball," she said. "It's about money and greed and ego."
Johnson, the board chairman, said he views the stadium project as a service to county residents. "This can be a very cold, flat place on the prairie unless we make some public investments," Johnson said.
McLaughlin called the ballpark "the next generation" in making Hennepin County and Minneapolis "economically viable."
In May, the Legislature approved a financing plan for the $522 million stadium project. The sales tax increase will finance three-quarters of the stadium's cost. The Twins will pay $130 million and get all game-day revenue and in-stadium advertising proceeds. The team's annual revenue is estimated to grow by at least $40 million.
According to county forecasts, a married couple with two children and a $75,000 annual income would pay an estimated $30 per year in sales taxes for the stadium.
Barring any problems, the 42,000-seat ballpark is expected to be ready for the 2010 season. Twins officials anticipate breaking ground next year.
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The Metrodome opened in 1982.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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