St. Paul council unanimously turns down sales tax for Vikings stadium
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The St. Paul city council voted unanimously Wednesday to oppose a plan calling for a half-cent sales tax to pay for a Vikings stadium.
The proposed billion dollar replacement for the Metrodome would be built in Arden Hills. A countywide sales tax, including St. Paul, would pay for about a third of the cost.
City council president Kathy Lantry says the city doesn't oppose a new home for the team.
"This isn't about slamming the Vikings at all. the Vikings are a statewide asset. It's the financing structure that's before us that's the problem," Lantry said. "Let's be clear: I think the Vikings certainly are an asset to our community.
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"It's not about them. It's certainly not about not wanting to build a new stadium. That's fine, too. We just have to find a different way to pay for it,"
The seven-member council took up the matter because the Ramsey County proposal for the stadium would impose a half-percent sales tax on the city. That would give it the highest sales tax in Minnesota, which the council opposes.
Vikings fan and St. Paul resident Todd Glocke watched the vote and said he was disappointed by the council.
"This is all just posturing in my mind. This is just passing the buck," Glocke said. "No one wants to step up, lead and say, 'Hey, I have a solution to this problem.' And that's what we need from our leaders, is someone to step up and take the reins and get this done."
The council discussed the resolution for a few minutes, and didn't take any public testimony. Neither Ramsey County officials nor anyone from the Vikings appeared at the meeting to support the billion dollar stadium development plan.
The Vikings and Ramsey county reached a deal in May to build the stadium on the former Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant site. County officials say development around the stadium would return tax revenue to the county.
