The governor of Nevada has revealed that he will not increase state taxes to help fund a potential stadium in Las Vegas for the Oakland A’s. [Image: Flickr.com / Jeffrey Hayes]
no interest
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo does not plan to raise state taxes to help pay for the stadium if MLB’s Oakland A’s move to Las Vegas. He revealed his reluctance to raise taxes in a statement Thursday despite discussing the matter in November with MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.
May or may not qualify for a variety of state-based economic development programs.”
Neither the governor’s office nor MLB representatives have released any details of the phone conversation that took place shortly after Lombardo won the gubernatorial election. In his statement Thursday, Lombardo noted that any sports teams or businesses considering moving to Nevada “may or may not be eligible for a variety of the state’s current economic development programs.”
Decisions must be made
The Oakland A’s had been considering moving from their current base for a number of years. The team’s current home stadium, Oakland Coliseum, is 57 years old and in need of major upgrades. Plans to build a new 35,000-seat football stadium on Auckland’s waterfront are in the works, but it looks like team preference may be. Moving to Las Vegas If she can get a site that comes with acceptable financing terms.
Other potential destinations being talked about for the A’s include Portland, Nashville, and Charlotte.
Progress on the waterfront soccer stadium proposal has been slow, as the city missed a major funding deadline in the fall. The team’s lease on its current stadium will expire next year, and MLB Commissioner Manfred recently stated that the team has gone through “any reasonable timeline” for deciding on its future. The team will not have to pay any kind of transfer fee to the league if it decides to transfer.
Vegas’ involvement in the potential move
Former Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has met with team representatives in the past, but has also been against helping build a stadium with a public funding package. When the NFL’s Oakland Raiders moved to Las Vegas, Sisolak subsidized a $750 million tax package to help with the $1.9 billion cost of building Allegiant Stadium.
The largest tax package of its kind for a stadium in the country
The tax package, which included an increase in hotel room taxes on the Las Vegas Strip, was a big reason the Raiders finally made the move. It was the largest tax package of its kind for a stadium in the country.
The Oakland A’s were looking at two locations in particular in Las Vegas. One is part of the site containing the Tropicana Hotel Casino, and the other is the Las Vegas Festival Grounds. The two most likely sites seem to be the former, as talks with the festival’s landlord appear to have stalled.
