Editorial

Beavers in Beaverton? Yes, but only after vote

The Beaverton Valley Times, Oct 15, 2009, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (3 Reader comments)

Beaverton citizens should be very wary of a plan to assess their homes as much as $5 per month in property and utility taxes through 2036 to pay for the construction of a $59 million sports stadium to serve as the home of the Triple-A Portland Beavers professional baseball team.

This week, Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle announced that the city had reached a tentative agreement with the Portland Beavers to build a stadium whose land and construction costs would largely rest with the taxpayers. The plan calls for Beavers’ owner Merritt Paulson to pre-pay the city $9 million and pay the city $600,000 per year in a license fee and six percent of ticket fees. All told over 25 years, the Beavers would pay the city $29.9 million.

What’s to be wary of? We are not wary of baseball, which is a sport that we feel has incredibly strong roots in Oregon and continues to have a viable economic future. We are not wary of Beaverton residents’ interest in improving their downtown. We are not wary of the Portland Beavers franchise or its owner.

What we are wary of is a rush by the City Council to compel property owners in the city, including businesses, to ultimately be on the hook for $50.5 million in bonds without first holding a vote. We understand that the Beavers have a deadline to begin construction next spring on a new stadium in order to have a new home to play baseball in spring 2011. All of this rush is being driven by the conversion of PGE Park in Portland into a soccer-only facility for Major League Soccer.

But that deadline doesn’t excuse the City Council for not holding a special election and seeking voter support.

Doyle and City Council President Bruce Dalrymple regularly suggest that Beaverton citizens have offered such support already. They say that the city’s community vision project drew responses from almost 4,000 residents who support Beaverton having a more vibrant downtown. City officials say that a recent survey of registered voters in Beaverton showed overwhelming interest in attending local events, such as concerts, sporting events or baseball games.

“We’ve done our research,” Dalrymple said this week. “We’ve talked to our citizens. Beaverton residents have told us overwhelmingly that they want a stronger, more dynamic downtown. Now, it’s our job as elected officials to act on that directive.”

We think such rationalized projection of voter support is premature and a huge stretch given the economy. And let’s be frank, we all know that voters don’t approve taxes by participating in surveys. And local governments don’t get official taxpayer approval by conducting surveys or visioning sessions. That’s what votes are for. We can only imagine that the only reason a vote is not being conducted in this case, is the urgent timing of the Beavers finding a new home and the fact that the city of Beaverton still has room within its allowed tax rate.

We think that if the future of downtown Beaverton is worth taxpayer investment – it is – and if the Beavers present an exciting opportunity for Beaverton — they do — the time taken to conduct a public vote is well worth a few months’ delay.

Doyle and other city officials express strong confidence in Beaverton residents’ support of baseball and city officials feel confident in the plan they have fashioned with the Beavers.

So, put the matter to a vote. It’s what taxpayers expect and deserve.

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