City Corporation Counsel Tom Richards says that Marina Auto Stadium, formerly PaeTec Park, will require an ongoing operating subsidy. The stadium got a $420,000 subsidy last year, but that was supposed to be a one-time thing. And of course, we were told back before the stadium was built that taxpayers would not be left holding the bag on this one.

Richards could not say how much the annual subsidy would be or how long it would last. The amount will be included in the city budget, which is being put together as we speak. It'll be interesting to see how Council reacts. During interviews late last year, Council members Dana Miller and Carolee Conklin would not commit to supporting an extended stadium subsidy.

"The public benefit is not going to be irreversibly harmed if there's no soccer stadium," Miller said.

On a related note: Council member Loretta Scott, at a recent meeting, reacted to the recently-released comptroller's audit of the soccer stadium. The audit said that oversight and due diligence were lacking in the stadium project. Although the blame seems to be falling at state lawmakers' feet, Scott was concerned that people might start looking askance at City Hall. With mayoral control on the table, it's a bad time, she said, for people to start wondering if city officials really have their eyes on the money.