SK: Just Be up Front About Stadium Deal

SK: Just be up front about stadium deal

Whether you like the new stadium deal or despise it, don’t you want your politicians to be straight up about it?

Most people on both sides of the fence would say “yes,” but the politicians haven’t been entirely up front about what’s going on.

Here’s what you need to know:

First, during the press conference about the new stadium, and then during the announcement in front of Rider fans at Mosaic stadium, Premier Wall and Regina Mayor Pat Fiacco seemed to have forgotten to mention one of the more controversial parts of the deal – a new hotel tax in Regina.

They may have said it under their breath, but initially nomediapickedupon that little tidbit. Most found out about the new tax when the news later surfaced in documents going before Regina’s city council. But there it is in black and white - $80 million will come from a new hotel tax in Regina.

Such a tax may have made a bit more sense if it was only charged on game days. But charging people coming in for conventions throughout the entire year to pay for a stadium for a football team that has only ten home games a year is hard to justify.

Why should the family of a little old lady, who has never watched a CFL game in her life, have to pay a hotel tax for a stadium when they visit her in December?

Or what if an agricultural fair comes to Regina in April? Should attendees from across the province have to pay an added tax even though their event doesn’t use the stadium at all?

Council should scrap the hotel tax and further increase the per ticket fee on Rider tickets (that is already being increased to help pay for the new stadium) or find some true private sector investment for the deal.

Speaking of user fees, the Premier and Mayor have maintained the largest contributors of the cost for the new stadium will be its users, but that’s just not true.

Of the $278 million deal, only $125 million will come from the Roughriders and the ticket fee Rider fans pay. Once you include the annual cost of maintaining the facility, the users of the facility pay even less as a percentage.

Next up, the Premier routinely suggests the province is putting in $80 million for the deal, but if you read the fine print, it’s almost double that amount.

The agreement notes the province will put $2.5 million per year into SaskSport’s account. SaskSport will then give that money to the Stadium. Over a 30-year period, through SaskSport, the province is actually putting in another $75 million towards the deal; bringing the province’s total to $155 million.

SaskSport will likely never need a 33,000 seat facility for amateur sport, but it’s making for a convenient scapegoat to help justify the deal.

It’s not acceptable that taxpayers were completely shut out from having a referendum on the deal or even so much as an open house to provide their input. It’s also disappointing that the Sask Party didn’t say a single word about the stadium in their party’s 2011 platform.

But it’s worse that Premier Wall and Mayor Fiacco haven’t been entirely up front with the public. Clearly there is more to this deal than the politicians clad in Rider jerseys led taxpayers to believe.

By: Colin Craig
Posted: July 22, 2012
Topic: Saskatchewan

Contact the regional director Colin Craig for further information.

Type: Commentary