There is a lot of excitement being generated by Mark Davis and other NFL owners about a potential move that would send the Oakland Raiders to Las Vegas. Based on comments made by Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman, though, it seems a bit premature to assume such a move will happen.
“We’re a little bit in the weeds right now talking about the numbers,” Goodman said, via News3LV.
The biggest hindrance at this point, besides the league saying let’s tap the brakes, is the matter of public funding.
At this time, if a new domed stadium were to be built in Vegas for the Raiders, roughly $750 million would have to be funded by the taxpayers. As a way to make it happen, the city has proposed raising the room tax for tourists visiting, a prospect that doesn’t excite Goodman.
“Can we afford an increase to the room tax so the tourists still keep coming here?” Goodman said. “Those are the dollars we’re talking about strictly for the stadium and the Raiders.”
The proposal on the table at this time is a $1.3 billion project in which the Raiders would be on the hook for roughly $500 million and The Sands pitching in some with the city picking up the slack (read more about the proposal here). Davis has repeatedly stated that he’s committed to moving to Vegas if the funding is approved, going so far as to say the move would “unite the Raider nation.”
As always, it seems a bit backwards that the taxpayers are on the hook for more than an NFL owner and, in this case, rich casino. And based on Goodman’s comments, she seems to feel the same way.
The league has contended that the best solution would be for the Raiders to remain in Oakland. Things are currently going nowhere on that front, though perhaps a new proposal, spearheaded by Ronnie Lott, could generate some momentum.