Salt Lake leaders feel betrayed by county

Salt Lake City has been competing with Murray for months in an effort to woo the stadium, which still needs some $30 million in public funding that no one has yet committed.

Now Sandy is entering the competition, potentially using the parking facilities, which Salt Lake City leaders say they helped pay for, as an incentive to win the stadium war.

"The very fact that somebody is talking about doing something else with our money that had never been revealed to us is just lacking in political integrity," City Council Chair Dale Lambert said. "To me, it's alarming that some county public officials would be discussing something that would violate the spirit of the agreement that we both were trying to reach in good faith."

Corroon is willing to look at dual use of the parking lot if that would be allowed under the spending requirements laid out by the Legislature. According to the legislation, the $20 million must be spent on parking at the Expo Center. However, it doesn't mention if that parking could have a dual use.

"It would be using the parking for two uses instead of just one," Corroon said, adding that: "We're open to all ideas."

Asked if the dual-use option would be a political betrayal of Salt Lake City, Corroon said: "Not at all."

The Legislature has set aside money for the Expo Center parking, while Salt Lake City's $8 million is going toward the Salt Palace, Corroon said. In short, the city's $8 million is not paying for the Expo Center parking, Corroon said.

City leaders don't see it that way.

They haven't allocated their $8 million, although they have made a good faith commitment to contribute it to the Salt Palace.

"We haven't paid our $8 million yet," City Councilman Carlton Christensen said. "If they want to play those political cards, we'll just weigh our options and see where it goes from there."

County Councilman Joe Hatch said many of Salt Lake City's complaints are sour grapes. It's not the county's fault that Sandy has a good relationship with the Legislature and could likely get lawmakers to sign off on alternative ideas for Expo Center parking.

"The advantage Sandy has and Salt Lake City doesn't have is that Sandy has a good relationship with the state legislature and Salt Lake City doesn't," Hatch said. "We all know why. We all know what it's about. For Salt Lake City to be angry about it they need to change the political dynamic of Salt Lake City, or of the state Legislature or of Sandy."

Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson, a social liberal and outspoken critic of many conservative policies, is a frequent target of conservative state lawmakers. Sandy Mayor Tom Dolan, on the other hand, is a Republican with a good relationship with many state legislators. Dolan did not return a voice mail message left Friday.

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