COLUMBUS, Ohio -- When a Cleveland sports team — be it the Cavaliers, Browns or Indians — takes its seemingly annual nose-dive in the standings, Sen. Shirley Smith said Cuyahoga County residents have a lot to lose.

The Cleveland Democrat isn't only talking about trade deadline "fire sales" of Indians lineups or postseason firings of the Browns coaching staff that fans traditionally associate with losing.

Those disappointing seasons also are a failed investment for the county's taxpayers, she said. Friday, she announced her suggestion to hold Cleveland teams accountable.

The deal: Incentivize the county's sin-tax revenue for its professional sports teams. The tax draws from countywide alcohol and cigarette sales.

"I believe we should reward success by creating an incentive for winning," Smith said in a news release. "Before tax dollars are doled out for state-of-the-art scoreboards and other stadium improvements, taxpayers have a right to see a return on their investment."

That's a reasonable proposal, Smith said, because tax investment in other private industries often is incentivized.

The Indians and Cavaliers asked Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday to extend the sin-tax to fund upgrades at their publicly-owned homes, Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena.

Council members must decide by Feb. 5 if they want to ask voters on the May ballot to extend the tax.

Should her proposed alteration to the sin-tax formula require a change to Ohio law, Smith said she would not hesitate to introduce legislation at the Statehouse.

"This should be a win-win situation for everyone," Smith said. "We have not had a winning team and there are no consequences."

Of course, getting the change through the legislature won't be easy. Smith and the Democrats make up a minority in both houses of the General Assembly, so her plan would have to be a hit with several Republican legislators.

The Indians might have an easier time stealing home.

Sam Howard is a fellow in Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism Statehouse News Bureau. Follow him on Twitter @SamuelHHoward.