Huntsman, legislative leaders agree on soccer deal
Now its up to the Senate
By Bob Bernick Jr. and Lisa Riley Roche
Deseret Morning News
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. and legislative leaders, hoping to meet a Friday deadline, are all pushing a deal to keep the Real Salt Lake soccer team in Salt Lake County.
House Speaker Greg Curtis, R-Sandy, and Senate President John Valentine, R-Orem, met privately with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. on Monday night.
They came out of the meeting, Curtis said Tuesday morning, united in what must be done to keep the professional soccer team in Utah and playing in a new stadium in Sandy.
Curtis said the ball is now in the Senate court. "If (Valentine) can get the votes, we're done."
Curtis said top state officials talked to team owner Dave Checketts last Friday, and through his lobbyists, Sue and Cap Ferry, agreement was reached this week on how to proceed financially.
"I said before that I was stepping back" from pushing a Real Salt Lake agreement until other state leaders stepped forward, Curtis said. "But I'm engaged again, and I'll talk to my (House Republican) caucus, and I think we can get this all done" in the House.
Meanwhile, Checketts is scheduled to meet with St. Louis investors today about the possibility of moving the team there.
In Utah, Senate Republicans are set to tackle the soccer deal again today after spending nearly two hours talking about it Monday in a special caucus without reaching agreement. The discussion could spill over into their Thursday caucus, as Valentine has described the Senate GOP as split.
Huntsman is calling for a House bill setting aside a portion of the transient room tax collected in Salt Lake County for a parking garage in Sandy to be amended to extend the tax diversion an additional five years, through 2022, to raise the $15 million needed to purchase land for the stadium.
The bill, HB38, has been passed by the House but has yet to secure a Senate sponsor. It would have to be amended in the Senate to extend the transient room tax sunset to buy land in Sandy, and then returned to the House for agreement on the amended version.
Complicating the issue is a Friday deadline Huntsman announced to the Deseret Morning News last week at the same time he outlined the proposed deal.
In a statement released Tuesday, the governor said, "Real Salt Lake has become a proud part of our community and it is imperative for the Legislature to act now in order to keep this tremendous asset here in Utah." Huntsman also urged the Senate to amend HB38 and the House to concur, in order to honor the commitments made to Real and Utah.
"We must work together to make this a reality," he said. "This project will enhance our quality of life, especially for the hundreds of thousands of Utah youth who play soccer."
Depending on the results of today's Senate GOP caucus decision, the bill could come up for a vote before the full Senate this afternoon.
Because of the Friday deadline, the bill will not go through the regular committee process in the Senate, said Sen. Sheldon Killpack, R-Syracuse, the bill sponsor.
The Salt Lake County Council is scheduled to consider an interlocal agreement with the state that will most likely revolve around the county handing back the $20 million that the Legislature authorized the county to use for a parking garage at the South Towne Exposition Center and renovations at the Salt Palace.
However, the council is hesitant to do so without a promise from the Legislature that the county will not be punished by other pending legislation, like a proposal to divert $15 million of the county's restaurant tax. Huntsman told the Deseret Morning News last Friday that the state deal had to be finished by this coming Friday, or Checketts may sell the team to bidders in St. Louis or Philadelphia.
"The funding for (HB38) would go through the governor's department of economic development; the oversight is there," said Curtis.
The governor also said that, "it is important for everyone to understand the proposal at hand: we are not building a stadium with state taxpayer money. This is an economic development investment in valuable property and a valuable community asset."
Huntsman said, "The transient room tax (TRT) is placed on hotel rooms and rental cars, paid by visitors to Salt Lake County and used to help fund tourist-related resources and facilities. This plan uses just 15 percent of that tax, while the rest is dedicated to other Salt Lake County projects."
The amended bill would direct $20 million of previously approved TRT funds, set aside in 2005 to build a parking structure for the South Towne Expo Center, and an additional $15 million for the purchase of land and public infrastructure.
Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan said having both the House and Senate majority leaders on board can only help the stadium project. "You can't ask for more support," Dolan said.
But the mayor acknowledged that some lawmakers — especially in the Senate — still need to be sold. Whether Curtis and Valentine can round up
enough votes remains to be seen. "All I can say, is I hope they can," Dolan said.
The Sandy mayor praised the governor's involvement in the stadium deal. "I think it's very important the governor has weighed in on this project. There's a lot of misinformation about it. He sees it's important for the whole state."
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