http://www.miamiherald.com/new...a/story/1011157.html

Plan to use Miami's general-fund cash for Marlins stadium parking is killed
The chairman of the Miami City Commission rejected a plan to use general-fund money for Marlins stadium parking.

BY CHARLES RABIN
crabin@MiamiHerald.com

Blasting the administration for what he called a stealth move, Miami City Commission Chairman Joe Sanchez on Tuesday killed a plan to use millions in general-fund money to begin construction of the parking sites for a new Florida Marlins baseball stadium.

Sanchez said a proposal to dip into $9 million of the city's operating budget was "way off base" and would have broken a promise to voters when the commission narrowly approved the stadium by a 3-2 vote last month.

"They're lining up outside my office trying to convince me," said Sanchez, who is running for mayor in November. "But it's not going to happen."

With the measure killed, the city will rely entirely on bond revenue for the parking facilities to be built around the 37,000-seat retractable-roof stadium that will rise on the grounds of the former Orange Bowl.

City Manager Pete Hernandez had added an item to Thursday's agenda asking commissioners to use the money from the general-fund reserves to get a jump-start on the $94 million worth of parking sites the city is funding at the new ballpark.

City Chief Financial Officer Larry Spring said Monday he didn't consider it to be spending general-fund money because it would be paid back as soon as the city issues bonds at the end of this year or early next year.

"It's a vehicle we use whenever we're getting ready to do a bond," said Spring, calling it common practice. "It allows a start."

Commissioners had been told that the general fund -- which pays for fire, police and other services -- would not be touched for stadium expenses.

Tuesday morning, after a Miami Herald story about the proposal, Sanchez dispatched a memo to Hernandez saying the financial maneuver could be dangerous at a time of economic uncertainty.

He also cited the city's financial integrity ordinance -- a vivid reminder of the city's near-bankrupt days of the mid 1990s, when the state Oversight Board demanded Miami maintain financial reserves.

The ordinance calls for a two-year recovery plan should the reserve dip below $85 million. It's at $94 million now. If the administration were to get its way, it would be on the bubble.

Hernandez said Tuesday evening he agreed to withdraw the item, and that it wouldn't put the garage project in jeopardy. He said he was trying to avoid issuing bonds before the start of construction to save the city money on interest payments.

"The reason we put the fund money in was because it was beneficial to the city as a whole," he said.

Sanchez said he was told not all of the $9 million was envisioned for the parking sites. About $5 million would finish projects like the renovation of Wynwood's Roberto Clemente Park.

As chairman, Sanchez shapes the agenda. He said the parking structures can still be built on time without the general-fund advance.

The hot-button issue was at the forefront of stadium debate before the March 19 vote to approve the $634 million stadium plan.

The five commissioners wanted guarantees that the city's lifeline, the general fund, would not be touched.

Ultimately, Commissioners Tomás Regalado and Marc Sarnoff voted against supporting the stadium. The measure passed 3-2 when Sanchez, Michelle Spence-Jones and Angel Gonzalez voted in favor.

That vote set the stage for similar approval at County Hall, bringing the franchise its long-sought permanent home in South Florida.

While the county's contribution -- from bed tax revenue -- is the primary source of funding for the stadium, the city is bankrolling the parking. The Marlins are contributing $120 million and will repay a $35 million county loan.

The parking site agreement calls for Miami to issue bonds by December or January to pay for the facilities, and then to pay off the debt with taxes received from the sale of hotel rooms.

Some commissioners questioned the timing of the request to use general-fund money, saying the city has plenty of time to build the six required parking sites within a month of Opening Day 2012, as the contract stipulates.

Now, the commission's vote Thursday will be limited to accepting the city planning board's recommendation to issue a special-use permit at the project site in Little Havana, and accepting the bid of garage builder Leo A. Daly.