LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Nevada lawmakers are set to discuss the proposed Oakland Athletics ballpark funding bill, Senate Bill 509, which has also been called the Southern Nevada Tourism Innovation Act. Channel 13 dug into the bill to see what's in it — here are 10 things to know:
- Nevada lawmakers are offering up to $380 million in public funding.
- Of that funding, $180 million would come from transferable tax credits from the state. Another $120 million would come from county bonds, and Clark County would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.
- Would this raise taxes? Not directly. The bill could pass with a majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. While lawmakers adjourn on June 5, a special session could be called for the bill to be voted on.
- The developer partner "shall pay the initial $100,000,000 of the costs of the Major League Baseball stadium project."
- The proposed stadium would seat approximately 30,000 people. That would make it the smallest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Currently, the smallest ballpark is Progressive Field, which is home to the Cleveland Guardians. That ballpark has a capacity just under 35,000.
- If the bill passes, it would include a lease agreement for "no less than 30 years." After that, the lease would be up for renewal.
- A baseball stadium community oversight committee would be formed to "oversee the implementation and administration of the community benefits agreement." That committee would include at least one member appointed by the Board of County Commissioners.
- If construction moves forward, the bill mandates that at least 15% of the stadium project must be subcontracted to small local businesses.
- The bill states in order for those small businesses to be considered, they must not exceed certain amounts of annual revenue. That breakdown includes $20 million for public works projects and $10 million for construction projects. For any other goods, materials, equipment and general services, that cap is $10 million. For professional services like architectural and engineering services, the cap is $2.5 million. The cap for trucking services would be $3.5 million.
- The bill would also create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund managed by Clark County, Major League Baseball and the Nevada Resort Association. The bill states money would be used to support programs that are designed to prevent homelessness, help individuals and families regain stable housing, and "diminish the incidence of homelessness in and around the Southern Nevada resort corridor."
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said MLB owners could vote on the A's potential move as early as June.
“It’s very difficult to have a timeline for Oakland until there’s actually a deal to be considered," Manfred told the Associated Press on Thursday. "There is a relocation process internally they need to go through, and we haven’t even started that process.”
As of Monday afternoon at 1:30 p.m., 75% of more than 1,800 public commenters had voiced opposition to the bill, according to the state legislature's website.
A separate poll commissioned by the Oakland A's earlier this month found Clark County voters were in favor of bringing a major league ballpark to Las Vegas — by a margin of three-to-one.
That poll, conducted by The Mellman Group, surveyed 700 registered voters between April 29 and May 5 — before the A's announced an agreement with Bally's Corporation to put the ballpark on the current site of the Tropicana Las Vegas.
The Senate Finance Hearing of S.B. 509 is scheduled for 4 p.m. and you can watch the proceedings here.
