While the city of Las Vegas pursues a tourism improvement district in the Symphony Park area, some Clark County commissioners are strongly opposed, and were not shy about voicing their opposition last week. The concerns primarily revolve around the 0 million, 24,000-seat soccer stadium proposed in hopes of bringing in a Major League Soccer franchise.
On December 17, City Council voted for the stadium to receive $56.5 million in subsidies. However, if the MLS does not award a franchise to Las Vegas, the stadium will not be built. The other two cities in contention for a franchise are Sacramento and Minneapolis. The MLS is expected to make their decision in the first half of 2015.
County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak told Las Vegas economic development chief Bill Arent, “We’re not subsidizing the hockey team going into the MGM Arena, I can tell you that,” at a recent hearing. One major concern is that the county would lose $1.5 million annually from sales taxes that would end up benefiting private business as they would pay for a 1,200-space parking garage, to be used for stadium events.
Commissioners held a hearing last Tuesday, but lack the authority to take action. Before the proposal goes back to the city of Las Vegas for a final vote in April, the state’s Tourism Commission will have another hearing, with an up or down vote. According to state law, the state commission’s decision is determined based on whether the district would get more than 50 percent of its revenue from out-of-state visitors. If the panel believes more than half of the sales taxes would come from locals, it could reject the district.
Arent and city consultant Zachary Sears were laid into by commissioners over the projected $1.1 billion the district plans to spend over a five-year period. Arent said regardless of what happens to the stadium, they will move forward with the parking garage. Commissioner Larry Brown said the stadium and garage are intertwined and called the potential impact on county finances “unacceptable.”
Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani asked for a formal resolution on the matter to go on record for state and local officials at the next county meeting. That is planned for February. Giunchigliani is also contributing to a fund towards hiring a consultant to collect signatures of Las Vegas residents with the hopes of getting a ballot question on June 2 where voters get the final say on subsidies for the stadium.
The political company Organized Karma LLC has been hired by Giunchigliani, Bob Beers, Stavros Anthony, in addition to four other residents with $19,600 in raised money. Initially, the group was told they would need 2,306 signatures to get the question to ballot, but a week later, on January 7, the city provided a letter claiming the group received “inaccurate information,” and that 8,258 signatures were in fact needed.
