A group of D.C. Council members is concerned that a proposed regional sports network whose profits would go largely to Baltimore Orioles owner Peter G. Angelos would unfairly burden many District residents.
The five members, all of whom are opposed to Mayor Anthony A. Williams's plan to use public funds to build a stadium for the Washington Nationals baseball team, have asked the council's auditor, Deborah K. Nichols, to examine the sports network proposal.
Angelos has been baseball's chief opponent of a Washington franchise because he fears a drop in attendance at Orioles games. Major League Baseball is trying to work out a deal to satisfy his objections, although the owners can ratify the team's move to Washington without his support.
Although no agreement on a regional sports network for the Orioles and Nationals has been reached, baseball sources have said that under one proposal, Angelos could receive 60 percent of the revenue generated after the cable provider takes its cut. The other 40 percent would go to the Nationals, who will get a new ownership group before next season.
The council members said they believe that District cable and satellite subscribers would be charged about $2 or $3 per month for the new station. If that revenue were to be split equitably between the Orioles and Nationals, the Washington team could have a higher player payroll or chip in money for stadium construction, council members said.
"Just imagine what the Washington team could do if it had the $46 million a year that the five most valuable baseball teams receive on average in media revenue," the council members wrote to Nichols. "The new team could contribute substantially to the financing of the new stadium, relieving the public of some of its financial burden."
The letter -- signed by David A. Catania (I-At Large), Adrian M. Fenty (D-Ward 4), Phil Mendelson (D-At Large), Kathy Patterson (D-Ward 3) and Carol Schwartz (R-At Large) -- represents another political joust in the battle over the stadium. It comes just days before the council takes its first vote Tuesday on the mayor's financing legislation.
The 13-member council has been split almost evenly. Seven council members have said they support the mayor's plan, which would pay for the stadium through a gross receipts tax on large businesses, a concession tax and an annual rent payment by the team. The stadium has been estimated to cost between $440 million and $584 million by various city officials, while a Washington Post analysis determined that the price could be as much as $614 million.
The final council member, Chairman Linda W. Cropp (D), is drafting legislation that would create a formal process for exploring private financing options for several more months. If such an amendment is included, Cropp has said she likely will vote to approve the deal.
Orioles spokesman Bill Stetka declined to comment on the council members' letter.
Nichols told the council members that she would not be able to conduct a detailed analysis of the sports network proposal in time for Tuesday's meeting.
Fenty said the council members requested the analysis "to get as much information as possible about all the different things we're paying for. Unfortunately, because we're moving so fast, there's no way to do that. It's really been rushed, and there are lots of hidden costs and taxes."
