Following a request for rent relief from the Lancaster Barnstormers (independent; Atlantic League), Lancaster County commissioners are doubting that they will agree to the proposal.
Earlier this week, the Barnstormers came to the county and requested assistance in completing the remaining rent payments at Clipper Magazine Stadium. To reduce their $1.1 million annual rent figure, the Barnstormers were asking Lancaster County to offer $650,000 per year toward the lease for the next nine years. In exchange, the Barnstormers would agree to exercise two lease options to remain in Lancaster and pay the county back by 2034.
It seemed that upon hearing the request that the county had some concerns, and two commissioners have since come out against the proposal. Both Dennis Stuckey and Josh Parson directly said they could not support the plan and the third commissioner, Craig Lehman, has expressed doubts of his own. More from Lancaster Online:
This year, the proposal called for the county to pay $275,000 by Nov. 15.
“There’s nothing we can do this year to help them,” Commissioner Dennis Stuckey told LNP, referring to the budgetary constraints the county is facing.
Commissioner Craig Lehman said he was open to considering the proposal, but acknowledged it would be tough for the county to immediately step in.
“Since this expenditure was not part of the 2016 budget, it is unlikely that this year’s spending plan would be reopened to accommodate that part of their request,” Lehman said in an email.
Representing Lancaster Baseball, LLC, Ian Ruzow told commissioners earlier this week that the Barnstomers’ owners have taken $3.5 million out of their pockets over the last three seasons to cover the team’s operating losses.
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