As officials with the City of Phoenix, Maricopa County and the Arizona Diamondbacks are scheduled to meet to discuss a deal to fund stadium improvements at Chase Field, one person involved in those conversations wants them to think bigger.
Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Thomas Galvin wants the state to establish a single entity to own and operate stadiums for all of Arizona’s sports teams.
“Such a sports and entertainment authority could bring cohesion, efficiency and long-term vision to an ecosystem that too often runs on patchwork deals and short-term fixes,” Galvin wrote in an op-ed in the Arizona Republic.
Galvin suggested that organization could be based on the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, which owns and operates State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals.
“It could be governed independently, professionally managed and funded through a smart blend of user-generated revenue and public-private partnerships that put a low burden on taxpayers,” Galvin wrote.
The authority was created in 2000 after Maricopa County voters approved Proposition 302 to provide funding for the Cardinals’ stadium, along with investments in the Cactus League and youth sports.
According to Arizona Auditor General reports, the Authority is funded by a mix of county hotel and rental car taxes, along with rent, taxes and other fees collected at the stadium.
Galvin pitched the idea as a solution to the years-long back and forth between the county and the Arizona Diamondbacks, whose lease at Chase Field ends in 2027.
The sides have sparred over what repairs are needed at the stadium and who should pay for them. The Diamondbacks estimate the facility needs $500 million in repairs and upgrades to its air conditioning, plumbing and other features.
Like State Farm Stadium, Chase Field is owned by a little-known government entity called the Maricopa County Stadium District. However, it doesn’t have the same level of revenue sources as the Tourism Authority that owns State Farm Stadium.
Galvin argued the stadium district isn’t equipped to fund improvements moving forward.
“The Diamondbacks play in a stadium owned by a special district that lacks both the authority and funding tools to modernize the aging facility, leaving the team and fans stuck in limbo,” he wrote.
According to financial statements, the Maricopa County Stadium District had just over $8 million in revenues against nearly $20 million in expenses in 2024.
The Tourism Authority had over $100 million in operating revenues in 2024 against $132 million in expenses, according to its most recent financial audit.
Galvin published the article ahead of a stakeholder meeting that will include officials from the city, county, team and Governor’s Office. They are meeting to discuss a bill moving through the Arizona Legislature that would allow sales tax revenues from Chase Field to be used to fund improvements.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has long opposed the bill, arguing it puts too much of a financial burden on the city without including concrete language guaranteeing the team will make good on its commitment to invest hundreds of millions of dollars of its own money into the project.
Maricopa County was initially neutral on the bill, but is now opposed after lawmakers added new language requiring the county’s contribution to equal the amount provided by the city. Galvin said the county’s portion of stadium sales tax wouldn’t cover that commitment, requiring the county to dip into its general fund, which pays for public safety, sanitation and other county services.
Hobbs said she believes all sides are close to a compromise.
“My priority in the bill is making sure that we're protecting taxpayers, creating jobs and keeping the Diamondbacks in Arizona,” Hobbs said.
But she stopped short of saying whether she would sign the legislation even if the city and county remain opposed to it.
“I can't answer a hypothetical, but I've been clear. I want the stakeholders to be on board, and I want something that really addresses all the concerns,” Hobbs said.
-
Democrat and Republican gubernatorial candidates are urging the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to invest in Arizona’s rural health care. -
The American experiment has always been tethered to religion, whether it’s “In God We Trust,” or the principle of religious freedom. But, under the Trump White House, religion — Christianity, in particular — has perhaps never been so front and center. -
The federal government shutdown has impacted many social safety net programs, from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); to the Women, Infants and Children program (WIC); to Head Start. -
Beyond the bickering Upper and Lower Basin states, there are 30 federally recognized tribes stuck in the middle of a decades-old debate on how best to divvy the water while keeping the ever-dwindling river flowing. -
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says Congresswoman-elect Adelita Grijalva will finally be sworn into office. Johnson told CNN’s Jake Tapper it will likely happen in the next 48 hours.
