Phoenix now backs bill to use sales tax dollars to help renovate Chase Field

Politics

UPDATE: Diamondbacks secure stadium funding victory as Arizona Senate passes Chase Field bill

Wayne Schutsky

The Arizona Diamondbacks’ effort to use state and local taxes to fix up Chase Field crossed a major hurdle on Thursday after the state Senate passed a bill that would allow sales tax dollars collected at the ballpark over the next 30 years to be used to fund major repairs.

Phoenix now supports a bill that would use state and local tax dollars to fund stadium repairs for the Arizona Diamondbacks after negotiating changes to the legislation, according to a city memo.

House Bill 2704 would allow sales tax dollars collected at Chase Field over the next 30 years to be used to fund major repairs at the stadium, which is owned by a county stadium district. The legislation was pitched as a way to ensure the team remains in Arizona after years of disagreements between team leaders and Maricopa County over who should fund needed long-term improvements, such as installing a new air conditioning system.

The bill passed out of the Arizona House in February and advanced through a Senate Committee in March, but hasn’t moved since that time.

Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego opposed the bill when it passed through the Senate Finance Committee, arguing the legislation put too much of a financial burden on the city and didn’t include guarantees that the team would contribute to the project.

The team has long committed to splitting the cost of repairs, but the current version of HB 2704 only includes a "legislative finding” – which isn’t enforceable – that the team would contribute $250 million.

But, according to a memo from the city’s government relations director, the city now supports the bill contingent on changes to the proposal.

Those changes include:

• A commitment by Diamondbacks to pay $250 million towards the project
• Limiting the city’s contribution to $3.5 million annually
• Restrictions on the use of public dollars to pay for luxury amenities at the stadium
• Giving City of Phoenix ownership of the land the stadium sits on at the end of the agreement.

An amendment introduced Thursday wouldn’t require the Diamondbacks to pay $250 million, but it would require the team to pay any remaining debt for the stadium district if the Legislature repeals the law because the team did not contribute to the project.

A spokesperson for Gallego did not respond to a request for comment.

KJZZ political correspondent Camryn Sanchez contributed to this report.