PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) – Multnomah County commissioners voted Tuesday to delay a decision on whether the county will contribute to Moda Center renovations the NBA has deemed necessary to keep the Portland Trail Blazers in the city.
The vote to delay came after hours of discussion at a county board meeting that included Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and Portland Fire President Claire Hamill.
Commissioners said they have not seen proof the county would benefit from contributing $136.5 million to the arena and have not heard back from Rip City Management. The county does not earn tax revenue from the Moda Center, which is owned by the city of Portland.
Commissioner Meghan Moyer told Wilson she does not trust him to negotiate a deal that would be mutually beneficial for the county. Another commissioner described the negotiations as a board “held hostage”.
The county also faces a budget deficit, a concern raised by representatives of roughly 4,000 county employees in attendance. Jackie Tate, president of AFSCME Local 88, said a fair Labor Agreement must come at the forefront of any deal.
“It is good for us as a community to keep the Blazers, but it can’t come at the cost of core county services or county employees,” Tate said.
She added that union members want assurance that no funds directed to the project would backfill the deficit and lead to layoffs or cuts to services.
Commissioner Shannon Singleton led the motion to delay. Singleton said she wants to see the city’s plan finalized and hear feedback from workers and residents before the county acts.
“Community benefits have to be bigger than the local governments,” Singleton said. “There’s nobody at the county that I am hearing say we don’t want to contribute to this deal. I think we’re trying to find the ways to make it a fair deal.”
A special session is scheduled for Aug. 6. Singleton, Moyer and Commissioner Juilia Brim-Edwards asked for official numbers showing how the county would benefit from the Trail Blazers remaining in Portland.
The team was not represented at Tuesday’s meeting and has not responded to requests for comment. Rip City Management is invited to a city work session scheduled for next week.
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