The piece of legislation that would help the Arizona Diamondbacks upgrade and maintain Chase Field — and ultimately agree to a long-term lease there — is expected to be ready for a final Senate vote.
State Senate President Warren Petersen told The Mike Broomhead Show on KTAR News 92.3 FM that an amended version of House Bill 2704 has the support to pass in the Senate, then the House and ultimately get the signature of Gov. Katie Hobbs.
The state Senate Finance Committee recently amended HB2704, which would help the D-backs secure funding for stadium district upkeep and management of their home ballpark owned by Maricopa County. The lease between the MLB club and the county ends in 2027.
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If passed in the Senate with the amendments, the bill would go back to the House, which approved an initial form but would need to OK the updated version before sending it to Hobbs’ desk.
“There will be a Diamondbacks bill that will be moving along with the budget that had to be contemplated with the budget, to make sure the budget balances,” Petersen said. “It includes some funding every year to make sure the facility can be maintained. It is a public facility, and the government does have some responsibility. That will be addressed in a bill that will move with the budget.”
The Joint Legislative Budget Committee estimated that HB2704 would reduce Arizona’s state general fund by $9.2 million annually and the local funds by $5.8 million more. The $15 million in revenue loss is why it is so attached to the state budget.
Petersen said Tuesday that he expects the Senate’s budget to land on the desk of Hobbs before the June 30 deadline.
“The governor is on board with it, and I believe we’ve got support,” Petersen said of the Chase Field bill. “I believe we’ll have the votes in the House and the Senate. It won’t be in the budget, but it’ll be a separate bill that will move along with the budget. We had to hold off because due to, since it was what we call a money bill … you can’t move them until you’re sure that everything balances out.”
What Chase Field bill amendments were made by the Senate Finance Committee?
Under the proposal, sales taxes from vendors on site at Chase Field would fund the stadium costs.
The city of Phoenix would fund the stadium needs with sales taxes at the ballpark and include some adjacent buildings.
County taxes would come from “the total amount of the one-half cent transportation tax collected from persons engaged in” various retail activities at Chase Field.
Amendments approved by the Senate Finance Committee include:
— Removal of the diversion of income tax to fund the stadium projects; the addition of a cap on the total amount of tax diversions at $500 million (it would be adjusted for inflation annually).
— The requirement that the money diversions would cease if the cap is met.
— A requirement that Maricopa County’s contributions match the city of Phoenix’s portion, even if it goes above the amounts earned from the half-cent transportation tax.
— The county’s half-cent transportation tax funding from this year must be transmitted to the district’s fund.
The bill states that the D-backs would”contribute at least $250 million” of their own money to maintain and repair Chase Field.
The legislation includes penalties if the Diamondbacks were to leave the MLB facility before 2055, which reduces from $10 million on or before October 2035 to $5 million on or before 2045 and down to $1 million on or before 2050.’
It has received some pushback as legislative leaders such as Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego have wanted to ensure it is “fiscally responsible.”
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