SALT LAKE CITY — Governor Spencer Cox told FOX 13 News he will not support using taxpayer money to build a Major League Baseball stadium.
While the governor said he believes luring a professional baseball team to Utah would be good for the state, he doesn't think taxpayer funds should pay for the stadium.
"I don’t think taxpayers should subsidize billionaires. I’ve felt that for a long time," Gov. Cox said. "I don’t think that’s strong economic policy. I don’t think that’s good for taxpayers. Especially when most of the benefits for something like that accrue directly for franchise owners."
The governor pointed out the state so far has not even been asked to come up with any money, and he acknowledged tax-increment financing could be offered at a local level for a stadium. But that's different than having the state kick in.
"We don't build stadiums. That's not what we do," he said.
The Larry H. Miller Company is heading up a consortium exploring whether to bring in an expansion Major League Baseball team or lure one from another city. A proposed stadium would be located on the current site of a Rocky Mountain Power plant in Salt Lake City, near the state fairpark grounds.
The Miller family currently owns the Salt Lake Bees and recently announced it would move the team from its stadium in the Ballpark neighborhood out to Daybreak.
