Letter: City subsidy

To the editor:

The Lawrence Journal-World is to be congratulated for its investigation of the payments made by the city for Rock Chalk Park. Because of these efforts, an audit is being conducted. This audit will answer the question: Did the taxpayers get $12 million of site improvements for the $12 million spent?

Sadly, there is a larger question that needs to be answered. Why did the taxpayers pay for all of the site improvements while Kansas University Athletics paid for none?

The original financing scheme called for the taxpayers to pay for the city-owned building plus about half of site improvements. KU Athletics would then pay for its stadiums and about half of the site improvements. After the city-owned building was bid and its price fell, the taxpayers ended up paying for all of the site improvements, heavily subsidizing KU Athletics. The subsidy is about $6 million.

Taxpayers have to wonder how the city’s decision management and contract negotiations skills failed so badly. What assurances can be given to the taxpayers that the city has learned from its mistakes and will never let such a mistake happen again?