CINCINNATI — Just one week after Hamilton County and the Cincinnati Bengals submitted their $350 million request to state lawmakers, the leader of the Ohio House of Representatives said he does not support the plan.
House Speaker Matt Huffman told 700WLW's Bill Cunningham the Bengals' plan is similar to a plan the Browns presented to him years ago, which he did not support.
"I did meet with the Bengals and Commissioner (Denise) Driehaus a few months ago or weeks ago, and basically they're talking about a $350 million cash upfront ... which is similar to what the Browns were trying to do a couple of years ago," Huffman said. "And I don't support that. I don't think the public supports it."
The request asks the state for roughly 42% of an $830 million Paycor Stadium renovation predicted to trigger $500 million in new investments at The Banks entertainment district, which has acres of empty lots.
WATCH: We break down the Bengals stadium funding request
Huffman said he would be more supportive of a Bengals plan in which "the taxpayers are held harmless" or "they can actually make money," like he claims they will with the Browns plan.
The Browns are borrowing $600 million for a new stadium by issuing bonds — debt that the state would then repay, with interest, using increased sales-tax revenues, income-tax revenues and commercial activity-tax revenues from the entire project.
"I do support, you know, something similar that if the Bengals and the City of Cincinnati and the county and, you know, can come together with a similar kind of plan, we ought to consider doing that where the taxpayers are held harmless or in the case of the Browns, they can actually make money.
We interviewed Driehaus before the request was submitted, and she noted Hamilton County was discussing options that were not similar to the Browns' due to the differences in what they need.
Driehaus said Hamilton County might not benefit from the bond deal the Browns received because it relies on tax revenue from new construction to pay off the debt. Hamilton County is focused on a stadium renovation next to an already existing entertainment district at The Banks.
"We've got a little bit to go, but we've already generated the revenue that they are hoping to generate with the activity around their stadium," Driehaus said at the time. "We're generating $40 million a year to the state right now from The Banks. So we've already done the work, and we are saying to the legislature, we don't want to be penalized because we're way out ahead of Cuyahoga."
Huffman disagreed with Gov. Mike DeWine, who said he would want to fund stadiums with increased taxes on things like sports betting.
"We took those out of the governor's proposed budget increase, especially on the sports gambling, (it) would pretty much end the sports gambling and income to the state as far as I'm concerned," Huffman said.
The speaker said he believes he and the governor would be willing to sit down with the Bengals and the county if "folks in southwestern Ohio can get inventive."
"Everybody has to sort of say, here's what we're willing to do and piece it all over, and I think if they're willing to do that, I'm certainly willing to sit down and talk with them," said Huffman.
