Mayor satisfied with Scorpions' finances


By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

Any speculation that Mayor Tom Swisstack is concerned about the New Mexico Scorpions' immediate future ended Tuesday.

A local television report speculated that Swisstack was worried that the primary tenant of the Santa Ana Star Center might face financial problems because the city was ending its arena management contract with a subsidiary of Global Entertainment, which owns the league the Scorpions play in.

But Swisstack said after meeting with team officials Tuesday most of the issues that might come up during a transaction have been worked out.

“We’re 95 percent there,” Swisstack said in a phone interview. “Could their financial situation be better? Sure, but so could most everybody else.

“We’re set until the end of the season and I think things will get better when we get a new management team in there that will do a little bit more promotion (for the arena).”

One of Swisstack’s campaign issues was to evaluate the management of the Star Center. The city issued $35.75 million revenue bonds on June 29, 2005, to build the 6,500-seat arena. A 12 percent ticket and merchandise surcharge was supposed to raise enough money over 20 years to pay off the bond issues, and the city agreed to cover any shortfalls out of its bud

It cost the city more than $2 million from its last budget to cover the shortfall, and the city terminated its contract with Global Entertainment earlier this month.

Swisstack also said he will begin his third series of public meetings in mid-January. Each hour-long meeting begins at 6:30 p.m.

Here is a list of the meetings:

Tuesday, Jan. 13: District 1 at Maggie Cordova Elementary, 1500 Veranda Rd. S.E.

Thursday, Jan. 15: District 2 at Star Heights Recreation Center, 800 Polaris Blvd.

Tuesday, Jan. 20: District 3 at Colinas Del Norte Elementary School, 1001 23rd Ave. N.E.

Tuesday, Jan. 27: District 5 at Rio Rancho Elementary School, 4501 Pepe Ortiz Rd. S.E.

Thursday, Jan. 29: District 6 at Mountain View Middle School, 4101 Montreal Loop N.E.
 
Tuesday, Feb. 3: Council District 4 at Shining Stars Preschool, 4477 9th Ave. N.E.