A rendering of New Era stadium in Buffalo, to be paid in part by the taxpayers of New York State
By Dan Murphy
A lawsuit filed by four New York state residents against the proposed taxpayer funding of a new stadium for the Buffalo Bills football team continues to move through NYS Supreme Court, in Albany County.
The cost for the $1.4 Billion New Era stadium’s total pricetag includes $850 Million in public funds, with the State funding $600 Million in construction cots, and Erie County government funding $250 Million. The NFL will give the Bills owner, Terry Pegula, a $200 million loan, and Pegula will fund $350 of the remainding costs.
The NY State funding for the new stadium was included in the state budget passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor in April. Hochul, who comes from Western NY, was instrumental in including the stadium funding in the budget deal.
The lawsuit against the deal, filed in State Supreme Court last month, asked the court to declare the public funding plan “null and void” based on “Article VII-Section 8.1 and Article VIII, Section 1, of the New York State Constitution.” The State of NY, the defendants in the case, have filed a motion to dismiss the suit.
The latest papers, filed by New Yorkers Bob Schulz, Westchester resident Tony Futia, Joshua Trost and William James, argue that in prior case law, the courts “give deference to public funding programs essential to addressing…
