The Seattle City Council is putting off a vote on allowing huge lighted corporate signs in downtown Seattle.

Seattle Council President Richard Conlin said that other members of the council want answers to questions raised Tuesday at a public hearing.

Russell Investments, which requested changes to the sign ordinance, wants to put a sign on the upper portion of its new headquarters, the 42-story former WaMu Center building on Second Avenue.

To lure Russell from Tacoma, then-Mayor Greg Nickels offered a break on the city's business-and-occupation tax. Conlin at the time said the city would be open to allowing Russell to put its logo on its building.

Conlin supported the change, saying this week it would only affect about 10 buildings in the city (to be eligible, companies would have to lease at least 200,000 square feet in an office building).

But Councilmember Nick Licata, who opposes the move, said Thursday it couldn't find support on the council. More than two dozen people signed up to speak at a public hearing this week. Most of them opposed the change.

"I think all of us were surprised by the negative response to the proposal," Licata said.

Conlin said he would announce Monday a new schedule for the council to act on the sign proposal. Originally, the council planned to take up the issue in committee Dec. 17 and vote Jan. 3.