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Business leaders are pushing Cuyahoga County Council to put a sin-tax extension on the May ballot that would pay for repairs and upgrades at Progressive Field and the Quicken Loans Arena. But the business leaders -- and Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers -- haven't said what the costs might be. Yet, they all want council to decide by Feb. 5.

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Taxpayers finally learned last November what improvements and upgrades the Cleveland Browns want for FirstEnergy Stadium. And they learned Clevelanders are going to have to kick in $30 million toward the cost of the changes to the city-owned facility.

But what about Cleveland's other professional sports teams?

The Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers each have a long list of needed repairs and proposed improvements for their publicly-owned homes, Progressive Field and Quicken Loans Arena, respectively, which opened in 1994.

The teams are not sharing the information just yet.

This is disgraceful when you consider that the teams and corporate leaders are asking taxpayers to cover these yet-to-be defined costs. This is like a mechanic asking you to agree to pay for car repairs and improvements before you receive an estimate.

Even more outrageous, the Cuyahoga County Council didn't demand an estimate before recently drafting ballot language asking voters to renew the countywide taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, which are set to expire at the end of July in 2015.

The money from these taxes, collectively known as a sin-tax, would go toward "constructing, renovating, improving, or repairing sports facilities and reimbursing a county for costs incurred by the county in the construction of sports facilities," according to the draft legislation. The new sin-tax money also would be shared with Cleveland for FirstEnergy Stadium.

Only the county council can put the tax proposal before voters. And council has until Feb. 5 to pass the legislation to make the May ballot, something the teams and business leaders desperately want. Council is legally required to hold public meetings on the issue this month. But these meetings will be little more than a bad joke without the proposed costs.

The Indians and the Cavs have been working on their proposals for many months so it's insulting they haven't offered even a rough estimate. Their landlord, the nonprofit Gateway Economic Development Corp., requires the teams to spell out in great detail what needs to be fixed and show what the teams have done to maintain and extend the life of their facilitates. The teams have to submit their proposals and analysis for requested major repairs by July.

That's obviously too late for taxpayers.

I tried Monday to find out what the costs are, or at least, when the teams plan to unveil their numbers.

The Indians and Cavs didn't have much to say. Nor did the Greater Cleveland Partnership, which represents the city's corporate and business interests, and is the driving force behind the campaign to extend the sin tax.

The GCP persuaded state lawmakers last year to add a last-minute amendment to the state's two-year budget that allows the county council to put a sin-tax before voters. Carol Caruso of GCP said her organization's concern is getting the six-tax on the ballot, not providing the cost estimates.

Here's what I pieced together Monday.

The teams will likely offer council some general cost estimates before the Feb. 5 vote. (Without estimates, council would be approving a slush fund, something it surely doesn't want credit for.)

The teams will not show off renderings or detailed plans before the Feb. 5. The teams will mount a bigger public relations push with plenty of multi-media presentations closer to May, when they need to persuade voters to get behind their plans.

The teams want council to propose a 20-year sin-tax, which would give the teams, including the Browns, the largest pool of money to pay for repairs and improvements. (State law limits the sin-tax to a maximum of 20 years.)

Compared to the Browns, the Indians and the Cavs can make a much more convincing case for taxpayers' help.

The Indians and Cavs are playing in facilities that turn 20 years old this year. And, thanks to renegotiated leases in 2004, the teams have been paying for all maintenance and capital repairs under $500,000. That means taxpayers are no longer being billed for capital expenses that include such absurd items as light bulbs. The teams also have been paying the costs of running Gateway, which manages the grounds and facilities.

The teams want better amenities. But what they really need are non-sexy upgrades, such as heating and cooling systems, electrical upgrades and, in the case of Quicken Loans Arena, possibly a new roof.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has spent more than $50 millions on maintenance and upgrades with little fuss. The Indians' owners have been less forthcoming about what investments they have made.

By not sharing their estimates, though, the Indians and Cavs are also blowing an opportunity to look better than the Browns, which played a cat-and-mouse game with its costs until the team reached a deal with Cleveland. And the Browns cut a deal with Cleveland officials that guarantees the team an additional $30 million for repairs and improvements -- regardless of whether the sin tax passes.

Taxpayers are really stuck here.

If they don't pass a sin-tax extension, they are still responsible for fixes through the city and county general funds that fill with other tax money. (Progressive Field ultimately reverts back to the city; Quicken Loans Arena falls to the county.) That's why Mayor Frank Jackson supports the sin-tax extension and County Executive Ed FitzGerald will likely back it as well.

Choosing between the lesser of two evils, I'd rather tap smokers and drinkers rather than money set aside to pay for cops, firefighters and other services.

But the teams can't expect voters to blindly back a tax, even a tax on sinners. Taxpayers deserve an estimate before council votes for the legislation. If the teams don't share their numbers, then the county council should do the right thing -- and withhold its support until they do.