Photo by Madelaine Braggs
The ‘pivotal moment’: “Key stakeholders involved in the debate over the Arizona Diamondbacks’ future in downtown Phoenix are scheduled to meet this week to discuss legislation to fund stadium improvements.” Thomas Galvin, chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, representative for District 2, and partner at Rose Law Group, “made a commitment to solve the Chase Field issue in a way that’s best for taxpayers.”
One viable path, Galvin says, includes: “Legislation to use sales tax revenue from all purchases and transactions at the stadium,” rather than the “amended bill,” which “would scoop up tax revenue beyond the stadium.”
But ‘let’s think bigger’: In his Arizona Republic op-ed, Galvin instead proposes “a single taxing district that owns and operates all major professional sports facilities in Arizona.”
Why it’d be better: “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 says.
Bottom line: “Whether it’s a new funding model specific to the Diamondbacks alone, or a larger shift to professional sports infrastructure statewide,” Galvin says he’s “optimistic that we are moving in the right direction to solve problems with the Diamondbacks and Chase Field, in a way that is fair to taxpayers.”
