JEFFERSON CITY • A Florissant lawmaker who earlier offered up a sales tax financing plan for a new riverfront football stadium is now saying a similar idea could be used to bankroll a new soccer stadium in St. Louis.

State Rep. Keith English has introduced legislation that would put a tax of not more than one-tenth of one percent on the ballot in St. Louis and St. Louis County. A green light from voters could generate between $10 million and $15 million annually, he said.

“The number of people who are hungering for a Major League Soccer team is immense. We have to start this engine now here at the Capitol and allow for the funding mechanism for the stadium to be developed,” said English, an independent.

The proposed tax would only go into effect if Major League Soccer awards the St. Louis area an expansion team by December 31, 2020.

The measure calls for the St. Louis regional sports authority to oversee the project. The money could only be earmarked for the project if a 30-year contract is signed between the authority and a team.

English said the proposal offers protections for taxpayers in order to avoid a situation like the St. Louis Rams, in which the team left for Los Angeles before the Edward Jones Dome was fully paid for.