St. Paul encourages other cities to oppose Vikings stadium deal
The city of St. Paul is stepping up its opposition to a proposed Minnesota Vikings stadium in Arden Hills.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman is circulating a letter to mayors in Ramsey County suburbs, asking them to join his city's opposition to a proposed half-percent sales tax county officials want to raise to pay for a new Vikings stadium.
The county and the Vikings should find other ways to pay for the stadium, Coleman said in the letter. Taxes on sales in St. Paul would be half of the nearly $22 million a stadium tax is expected to raise annually.
Coleman also offered a draft resolution opposing the plan, much like the one his City Council passed on Wednesday.
Ramsey County Commissioner Tony Bennett said he thinks St. Paul will benefit from the stadium. He noted that Coleman himself suggested a quarter-percent sales tax increase earlier this year, in a bid to bring the Timberwolves over from Minneapolis to the Xcel Energy Center.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.