Though Werner Park, the new home of the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), is slated to open next April, Sarpy County is still finalizing a long-term financing plan for the ballpark — and it looks like a plan is in place.
The plan involves tax-increment financing (or the Nebraska version of it, anway), a funding method that was earlier shot down by the Nebraska Legislature several years ago. Under the new plan, the ballpark will be annexed by the city of Papillion, and the city will pay sales taxes generated by the ballpark as well as a chunk of sales taxes generated by local development to the county.
Under the agreement, local property taxes will not be used to pay for the ballpark.
For those keeping score at home, the Storm Chasers are slated to move into the new ballpark Friday.
RELATED STORIES: Storm Chasers set to vacate Rosenblatt this week; New for 2011: The Omaha Storm Chasers; New for 2011: Werner Park; New turf goes down this week in in Sarpy County
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