| From the Reporter |
| The Issue |
| After years of saying otherwise, backers of a $550 million Convention Center expansion now say they need $3 million a year from the city’s day-to-day operating budget to help finance the project. |
| Why It Matters |
| The city’s day-to-day budget funds regular city services, such as fire, police, streets and libraries, all strained by annual cost cuts. Backers say the money will come from hotel-room revenues that will increase only if the Convention Center expands. But the city likely will be on the hook if the economic projections don’t pan out. |
| What’s Next |
| City Council wants to see a full financing plan on the project by the end of the year, but Mayor Jerry Sanders’ office said it might take until spring. |