Voters may have final say on any plan to help Sonics

With time running out on the Sonics' push for a taxpayer-funded KeyArena expansion, Gov. Christine Gregoire and legislative leaders scrambled Wednesday to fashion a plan lawmakers might stomach — one that likely would make team owners share the cost and submit to a public vote.

Gregoire met in Olympia with Republican and Democratic legislative leaders, along with lobbyists for the Sonics, King County and the city of Seattle, well into the evening. No firm plan emerged from the closed-door meeting.

But the governor and lawmakers imposed a Saturday deadline on city, county and team officials to meet and agree on a proposal.

Seattle Deputy Mayor Tim Ceis confirmed that result Wednesday night, but refused to elaborate.

Earlier in the afternoon, Gregoire called Howard Schultz, the Sonics' principal owner and chairman of Starbucks, to tell him a public vote and owner contribution likely would be needed to get a financing plan through the Legislature.

"I'm trying to tell Howard it's a huge political issue," Gregoire said. "It's about, 'Can we get it through this place?' "

Team owners have said they're open to sharing the costs of an arena expansion, but they have opposed a public vote.

"What we're concerned with is the timing of it, beyond the uncertainty that is inherent in the vote. If it happens in November, it might be too late," said Wally Walker, team president and part-owner. The team wants a decision by next Thursday, when the legislative session ends.

But even some of the team's staunchest supporters now say a public vote seems inevitable. "How can we avoid it?" said Sen. Margarita Prentice, D-Seattle.

The Sonics' ownership group, The Basketball Club of Seattle, says it has lost nearly $60 million since acquiring the team in 2001, and needs an expanded arena and a better lease to stay in Seattle.

McIntire, a Seattle Democrat, floated a plan that would allow King County voters to choose whether to finance a $220 million expansion of KeyArena sought by the Sonics, or a more modest $20 million remodel to spruce it up for concerts and other shows.

McIntire, who chairs the House Finance Committee, scheduled a hearing for 8 a.m. today on his proposal, which would require the Sonics to contribute $44 million if their preferred arena expansion is approved.

He said the proposal is an attempt to give Seattle and King County some options for making sure Seattle Center and KeyArena remain viable — "with or without the Sonics."

The proposal would limit the life of any new taxes to 20 years. McIntire characterized the plan as a trial balloon.

"I want to see if there's any real energy here," he said.

Critics of taxpayer subsidies for sports arenas slammed the last-minute maneuvering.

"It is typical of the way these things get played. They do not want them subjected to public scrutiny. They don't want the opposition to be able to respond and talk about it," said Chris Van Dyk, an organizer of Citizens for More Important Things, a group that fought Safeco and Qwest fields.

The state restaurant association proposal would extend a .5 percent tax on King County restaurant meals — now used to pay the debt on Safeco Field — for three years after the baseball stadium bonds are paid off.

That would generate about $62 million toward a KeyArena expansion. But in exchange, the Sonics would have to agree to a $3 ticket tax on KeyArena events for 20 years. That money would be combined with other local taxes to raise more than $400 million for the arena expansion and local arts groups.

"We've always said we're in favor of doing the right thing and we're not against the Sonics," said Anthony Anton, a lobbyist for the Washington Restaurant Association. "Now it's up to the Sonics. Is it their way or the highway or are they going to come on board and find a way to make this work?"

The Sonics had been lobbying unsuccessfully for a different plan — with no public vote requirement — that would make permanent several King County taxes now used to pay off Safeco Field, Qwest Field and the Kingdome. Instead of expiring as originally intended, those taxes — mostly on hotels, car rentals and restaurants — would pay for "civic amenities," including a KeyArena expansion.

But that plan ran into opposition from restaurants and other critics who said the Legislature should keep its promises and allow the stadium taxes to end once the football and baseball fields are paid off.

Asked about the last-minute machinations, Sonics spokeswoman Valerie O'Neil said, "We're encouraged by what is going on at the legislative level and we'll work to find a solution together."

It was not clear whether any of the proposals will advance, but leaders who met with Gregoire for more than an hour and a half Wednesday sounded optimistic.

"We're just trying to figure out how to get from Point A to Point B," said Senate Minority Leader Mike Hewitt, R-Walla Walla. "Everything is doable. These are the hours where everything comes together."

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 Ralph Thomas: 360-943-9882