Nothing is lost by striking a sweetheart property tax break with the city. Struggling homeowners can expect to subsidize a building that's valued at 1000 times more than an average house but pays only 160 times more in property taxes. The double standard is not likely to win over business owners, particularly competitors in the entertainment industry, saddled with a business tax and entertainment tax that True North managed to negotiate off their books. We need a new arena downtown because the existing one is too low class or not good enough to house second tier hockey players and tractor pull events. That one speaks for itself.
Public opinion is lined up in their favor of the new arena.
Before governments sacrifice their citizen's money at the altar of this new entertainment complex, voter approval should be measured in a referendum or plebiscite. The last time I checked no politician campaigned on taxpayer handouts for new arena owners. The buck stops at City Council. Unless calls start pouring in to elected representatives, Councilors may mistake silence on the issue for tacit approval. They would be wiser to chalk it up to public cynicism or the shotgun PR campaign.