New plan would limit Charlotte's stadium funding

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A state lawmaker from Charlotte has offered a bill that would likely limit the money the city could offer for renovations for the Carolinas Panthers stadium.

The Charlotte Observer reported ( http://bit.ly/148SCBK) Republican Rep. Ruth Samuelson offered the bill Thursday to allow the city to use only existing taxes to pay for improvements at Bank of American Stadium.

Charlotte wants state lawmakers to give the city authority to double its prepared food tax to help pay $144 million of a planned $250 million in renovations.

Samuelson's plan apparently would leave the city more than $30 million short of the amount it wants to provide. She says there is no support for a tax increase.

Her bill does not address the team's request for about $62 million in state funding.

___

Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com