SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego city and county officials Thursday unveiled a proposal for each to contribute up to $250,000 to retain consultants, attorneys and other experts to prepare for upcoming negotiations with the Chargers over a new stadium.
"Through this partnership, we will bring on the experts to make sure that San Diego taxpayers are getting a good, and a fair deal with a proposed new stadium," Mayor Kevin Faulconer said.
"These expert consultants will assist us in developing possible stadium financing options, advise us on related developments and legal matters, and improvement in financial issues," he said.
The deal calls for the city and county to split the consulting costs 50-50. The proposal will go before the City Council and county Board of Supervisors next month for approval.
Supervisor Ron Roberts said "negotiations are clearly coming" with the Chargers.
"We want to have a positive result, but we also want to have a fair result," Roberts said. "We want something that the residents of our communities will feel comfortable (with) and have some pride in."
Roberts previously floated the idea of the county floating a "bridge loan" to assist with financing a stadium, which would provide a playing home for the Chargers, San Diego State University, the Holiday and Poinsettia bowls, high school championships and special events.
The Chargers have been looking to replace aging Qualcomm Stadium for years and have made moves to acquire land near the San Diego (405) Freeway in the Los Angeles County suburb of Carson. On Wednesday, Carson officials who support a stadium project in their city delivered signed petitions calling on the City Council to expedite the issue.
An advisory group in San Diego appointed by Faulconer has determined that a new stadium should be built next to the existing facility in Mission Valley. The nine-member committee is now working on developing a financing strategy, which is likely to include a mix of funding sources.
Faulconer said he still plans to take any final stadium proposal to voters next year, though it's now unlikely that a ballot measure would require two-thirds approval. Roberts said it still hasn't been decided whether such a vote would go before all county voters, or just those within the city of San Diego.
