With a $700,000 taxpayer price tag, the plan to build a new multi-sports arena in Virginia Beach has drawn criticism from local government councilmen, according to a report on WAVY.com.
Virginia Beach Arena Plan Drawing Heavy Criticism
Councilmen Bill DeSteph and John Moss told the TV station they did not approve for the arena to be funded with taxpayer money and did not know public funds were being used for the project. After hearing Comcast-Spectator’s proposal for the arena, which calls for $700,000 in taxpayer money, the two councilmen are calling for “transparency” regarding “secret meetings” between Comcast-Spectator and the Virginia Beach Economic Development Authority.
The only two local government officials who were aware of the meetings were Vice Mayor Louis Jones and Councillor Rosemary Wilson, and neither told the rest of the council until earlier this month, according to the report.
“Maybe we could have known what was happening and said, ‘Wait a minute. Did you have a public vote? Wait a minute!’” Moss told WAVY.com. “And we could have avoided this major creation of a lack of public trust.”
DeSteph and Moss support the plan to build a new sports arena only if it is funded by private dollars. If not, the duo wants the proposal, which is to build a 18,000-seat, $350 million arena across from the Virginia Beach Convention Center, to be put to a public vote.
For more updates on the proposal to build a new sports arena in Virginia Beach, stick with this story stream. For updates about one of the rumored tenants of the proposed arena -- the Sacramento Kings -- head over to Sactown Royalty.
See More:
