PORTLAND, Ore., March 10 (UPI) -- Portland's mayor says he isn't sure if there are enough votes on the city council to pass a tentative deal that would bring Major League Soccer to Oregon.
Mayor Sam Adams told The (Portland) Oregonian that he and one other member of the five-person council are ready to vote yes Wednesday while the other three have yet to commit.
"We go into this without an identified third vote," Adams said after the deal was announced Monday.
The Oregonian said Tuesday that an agreement with Merrit Paulson would give Paulson access to $60 million in city-backed loans to build a new stadium for his Class AAA minor-league baseball team and renovate PGE park for pro soccer.
Paulson is the son of former U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and owns the Beavers baseball team and the minor-league Timbers soccer team.
Adams said the deal insulates the city from 80 percent of the plan costs. However, some council members are leery of committing redevelopment funds to stadium projects at a time when other city services are threatened.
