New York Newsday April 27, 2005 A showdown may be looming in the City Council over the mayor's plan to divert economic development funds to pay for the $375 million West Side Stadium platform...

Political showdown looming over stadium funds

BY GRAHAM RAYMAN
STAFF WRITER

April 26, 2005, 8:00 PM EDT

A showdown may be looming in the City Council over the mayor's plan to divert economic development funds to pay for the $375 million West Side Stadium platform.

The 51-member council appears to have needed 34 votes to override a probable veto by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of a bill that, if passed, would bar the use of so-called payments in lieu of taxes, or PILOTS, for the platform without council approval.

Meanwhile, there seems to be a growing clique of council members who support the stadium plan even though their leader, Council Speaker and Democratic mayoral candidate Gifford Miller, is trying to block the project. Miller yesterday called the mayor's plan "illegal."

Councilmembers Tracy Boyland, Vincent Gentile and Helen Sears, however, endorsed the project yesterday at City Hall, appearing with six other council members and a crowd of green-clad construction workers, who already said they back the plan.

This intriguing divide in the council was illustrated best by member Leroy Comrie of Queens, who appeared at a Jets news conference at City Hall to say: "Whatever numbers you use, the sports and convention center makes money and builds real jobs," Comrie said.

Twenty minutes later, he appeared at a news conference called by Miller to say he supported the PILOT legislation. "This is public money," he said. "We have to do this in a unified, bicameral way."

Likewise, Councilman James Gennaro, also of Queens, donned a hard hat to stump for the Jets plan, and then took a spot next to Miller to back the PILOT legislation.

Later, the city's lawyer Michael Cardozo and Miller argued back and forth over whether existing state and city law allowed the diversion of PILOTS from the general fund without the mayor's approval.

One thing they did agree on: the dispute is probably headed for court