SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – The Oakland's Athletics' proposed $12 billion Howard Terminal ballpark project will not appear on the November ballot – a victory for supporters of the plan that would keep the team in the city.
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After 11 hours of debate, the Oakland City Council on Tuesday night voted 4-2 to strike down a proposal which would put a non-binding advisory measure on the upcoming November ballot for residents to determine whether public funds should be used to help pay for the massive waterfront development.
Only Councilmembers Noel Gallo, who sponsored the bill, and Carroll Fife voted in favor. Vice Mayor Rebecca Kaplan abstained from voting.
While an affirmative vote would not have completely derailed the project, the decision still removed another potential roadblock towards the project’s chances of being completed.
According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Gallo advocated for the measure on the request of the public so Oakland citizens would not be responsible for unforeseen expenses during the 10-year development process.
However, project supporters argued putting the proposal to a vote would further delay the process. A's President Dave Kaval recently said he wants the council to vote on the project by the end of this year.
"A non-binding advisory measure would have jeopardized keeping the A’s in Oakland, cost taxpayers as much as a million dollars, and done nothing but provide special interests with opportunities to spread misinformation," Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement following the vote. "The Oakland City Council has provided clear direction in our negotiations with the A's: Oakland taxpayers will be protected from the costs of the ballpark and associated development. We have learned the mistakes of the past and we won’t repeat them."
The decision comes less than a week after a key vote removed Howard Terminal's port designation, which Kaval described as a "huge win" for the project.
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