PHOENIX — In a 4-3 vote earlier this week, the Arizona Senate Finance Committee passed House Bill 2704. The bill would divert sales tax revenue from Chase Field and income tax revenue from the team to a fund that would pay for fixes and upgrades to the ballpark.
The House passed the bill last month.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego has spoken out in opposition to the bill, saying this will cost taxpayers.
The bill has more hurdles to overcome in the Senate before it goes to Governor Katie Hobbs, who could then sign it into law.
Maricopa County has also come out against the bill.
The bill has been amended so that the county must contribute money equal to the city of Phoenix.
But the county doesn't have an excise tax, meaning any money the county would pay would have to come out of their general fund.
"Our understanding is that this amendment attempts to create parity between the City of Phoenix and Maricopa County to ensure the County has equal “skin in the game,” Assistant County Manager Zach Schira said in a letter to Senator J.D. Mesnard. "This attempt fails to recognize one important fact: Maricopa County does not have a general excise tax. Any attempt to create parity is a direct hit to the taxpayers of Maricopa County. This amendment puts the County burden for Stadium upkeep on the backs of County property taxpayers, rather than those who visit the Stadium."
Currently, revenue from non-baseball events — which Chase Field hosts more than 150 a year — goes into a reserve fund to pay for ballpark upkeep.
“But it is not enough for the $500 million worth of work that we have identified needs to be to Chase Field as soon as possible,” Amilyn Pierce, the Diamondbacks' vice president of government affairs, previously said.
