61% Of Tennessee Voters Oppose $500M In State Funds Going To New Titans Stadium

Image Credit: Venue Solutions Group / Commonwealth Development Group / Sports Authority Nashville

The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –

In a new poll, 61% of likely voters in Tennessee oppose the state giving $500 million toward a new Tennessee Titans stadium.

The poll, conducted by Targoz Market Research for the nonprofit policy group the Beacon Center of Tennessee, showed that 69% of those polled in East Tennessee disapproved of the move while 57% in Middle Tennessee disapproved and 55% in West Tennessee disapproved.

The poll also offered a “not sure” option. That meant that just 20% across the state approved of the move, with 22% in Middle Tennessee approving and 18% in both West Tennessee and East Tennessee.

The $500 million is only a portion of the state funds that will go toward the proposed $2.2 billion new stadium. The state also has committed to giving away a 5.5% sales tax at the stadium and 2.75% sales tax in 130 acres of the future development outside the stadium while also approving a 1 percentage point increase in a hotel-motel tax in Davidson County.

Economist J.C. Bradbury of Kennesaw State University in Georgia has explained that sales tax dollars from new developments are similar to general fund tax dollars because new developments prove to displace spending from other areas of a city or county, not create new spending.

“It’s a misnomer to say that it’s not raising taxes on locals because what you’re doing is transferring commerce that was already taking place in Nashville that was generating sales tax revenue for the city and state and then diverting that to the Titans,” Bradbury said. “So that’s revenue that was previously going to funding other priorities for government that now has to be made up through other means.”

Metro Nashville and the Titans are expected to give an update on the proposal at a 5:30 p.m. meeting on Sept. 14.

The Titans are expected to pay $700 million of the new stadium, which could include an NFL loan and revenue from seat licenses depending on how that program changes.

Nashville plans to pay the revenue bonds with Nashville’s portion of taxes for sales at the stadium and half of the taxes from sales on 130 acres.

Nashville has hired Venue Solutions Group for at least $250,000 to study the city’s legal obligations at Nissan Stadium after the group estimated in 2017 that the stadium would require $293.2 million in capital improvements over 20 years.

Titans CEO Burke Nihill estimated that city obligation to be $1.839 billion.

About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.

6 thoughts on “61% Of Tennessee Voters Oppose $500M In State Funds Going To New Titans Stadium

  • September 2, 2022 at 6:34 pm
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    How can our elected representatives including the Governor not see how their constituents feel about issues like spending our money on things WE DO NOT WANT but do it anyway. Maybe they should do polls before spending our money on their pet projects.

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  • September 2, 2022 at 7:21 pm
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    If the Titans want a new stadium let them pay for it. I don’t want my tax dollars going to it

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  • September 3, 2022 at 1:01 pm
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    So 61% of Tennesseans don’t want to pay for a new stadium that only a few people will use. Let’s see if the the elected officials do what their constituents say. The nfl is w*ke I don’t want any of my hard earned money going to anything associated with being w*ke. The owners and players, they can pay for a new stadium. We are in recession right now. Most people are having a hard time just paying basic bills. Why not use the 500 million to give the taxpayer of Tennessee a refund. I stopped watching all forms of professional sports a long time ago. You want to talk about privilege. Most owners and players make millions of dollars every year and then complain how syst*mic r*scist and s*cial inj*stice America is.
    In God we trust not government or man.
    Have a blessed day.

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  • September 4, 2022 at 5:59 pm
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    They DO see and don’t care. Also, it was sold as a “loan.” See SB2901 https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default.aspx?BillNumber=SB2901
    “authorizes the state to issue and sell bonds of up to $583.5 million; allocates proceeds of $500 million of bonds to the department of finance and administration to provide funds for the purpose of making a grant to Nashville/Davidson County for the construction of a domed sports stadium. ”
    This is to be covered by hotels tax. Go figure.

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  • September 5, 2022 at 5:59 pm
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    Read an article recently (don’t recall where) public funded corporate welfare always results in kickbacks in the form political donations, consultants, lawyers, lobbyists, construction companies, the list is extensive.
    And of course the final bill to the taxpayer is more than initially made public.
    For football, the industry is devouring itself, likely to be nearly gone in 15 years.
    The Titans, their business interests and fans want this special treatment, ha and even think they deserve it.
    Fine they should pay for it.

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  • September 8, 2022 at 5:28 pm
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    Lots of new stadiums and stadium upgrades all over US. During the pandemic, we could’t go to a stadium. They tell us there will definitely be another pandemic. If most people can’t afford gas, or even go out, why would we even need all these new and/or upgraded stadiums? Umm…. Who will use them and for what? Well, as I remember, one did come in real handy after Hurricane Katrina? Remember that nightmare?

    Reply

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