Sheedy Wants Council To "Stop! Think..Reconsider?" Arena Plan Before Vote

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Sacramento City Council members will vote Tuesday night on whether to move ahead on the downtown arena plan and Mayor Kevin Johnson hopes they will vote yes. But at least one council member is saying "Stop! Think..Consider?"

For the plan to proceed, at least five City Council members need to vote yes. But speaking early Tuesday morning on Good Day Sacramento, Mayor Johnson said he believes Sacramento is on the verge of doing something "very historical" and that he hopes for more than five yes votes.

"And I really think there is a chance for all the council members to be on board and support this. I think 5-4 is not enough. I think we should get the majority, if not all council members to support this plan," said Johnson. "The city is making a major investment. The Maloofs are making a major investment. AEG is making a major investment. And these are the kind of public-private partnerships that other cities dream of."

However, City Council Member Sandy Sheedy sent a policy paper titled "Stop! Think..Consider?" to her fellow council members containing what she says is "not the kind of information that has been provided to us."

The policy paper starts with a quote from an article in the Journal of Economic Perspectives, "Few fields of empirical economic research offer virtual unanimity of findings. Yet, independent work on the economic impact of stadiums and arenas has uniformly found that there is no significantly positive correlation between sports facility construction and economic development."

While Sheedy has not said which way she intends to vote on the entertainment and sport complex, the tone of the policy paper implies she is not fully convinced the project will benefit Sacramento. Johnson has said the project will add 4,000 jobs.

Asked about the worst-case scenario if the project moves forward, Sheedy told CBS13: "In one word Stockton. I would not like to see that happen to the city of Sacramneto. If it passes, I hope that the most due diligence that can be done is done."

Stockton built a new arena in 2005 but has lost millions on it as it struggles to fill it for events. The city is on the verge of bankruptcy.

The council members had five days to review the term sheet negotiated by the mayor, the Maloofs, owners of the Sacramento Kings, and the NBA for the $391 million sports and entertainment facility.

Three council members CBS13 talked to on the eve of the vote say they are leaning toward supporting the deal and will make their final decision during the meeting.

"I'm optimistic," Councilman Rob Fong said of the financing agreement gaining city approval.

Councilmember Steve Cohn tells CBS13 he's already decided to vote yes on the railyards arena. The measure is expected to pass, but not with full support.

Tuesday's City Council meeting starts at 6 p.m.