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John Daley ReportingUtah's professional soccer franchise Real Salt Lake wants Salt Lake County to approve funding to help build a new stadium. The question is, should it go to the voters first? A new KSL-TV poll by Survey USA finds a large majority say, yes.
The team now plays at Rice-Eccles Stadium, but it wants the new stadium in Sandy built by 2008. To make that happen, they're asking for county money, but some members of the county council want to put it up for a vote.
When stadiums are built it's almost always with significant public funds and often plenty of controversy. Utah's pro soccer team wants one too, again as private public partnership.
We asked whether Salt Lake County residents should or should not be able to vote to approve the 35 million dollars for the project. 80% say the county should put it on the ballot, 16% say it should not.
On the question of whether or not the county should approve funding for the stadium project, 37% say they support it while 58% oppose.
There's been some discussion of whether the team should disclose more information about their fiscal health and private investment before voters would approve public money for the project. A solid 85% favor more disclosure, 11% do not.
Mark Crockett, Salt Lake County Council Member: "I think it's a big expenditure. We have a lot of expenditures. We can't fund them all. With that much money we might as well ask our residents what they think the priorities are."
Joe Hatch, (D) County Council Member: "We are their children, they give and they take away, so I'm always very sensitive to their wishes. I almost never agree with them as a good democrat, but I understand where the power flows from and yeah, I'd be concerned about stepping on their toes."
Danielle Riley, South Jordan Resident: "It's an important thing for the community. It's good for them, but I think it should be a community decision."
Krysta Crane, Salt Lake City Resident: "I think it's worth a try. You might as well see what the public has to say about it, see what they think and get an opinion."
Last week, team CEO Dave Checketts again pointed about that without significant public investments most stadiums wouldn't be built. The timetable is tight. The team hopes to get construction going this fall, but a referendum would certainly delay things.
