Cincinnati City Councilman Chris Seelbach said during a Wednesday council meeting discussing plummeting city budgets due to the new coronavirus that FC Cincinnati should give back at least some of the nearly $33 million the city put into the team's West End stadium.

But Seelbach followed up Thursday with questions to the city administration about whether it would be feasible, and a city email shared with The Enquirer shows it would be possible – but it's up to the team.

Seelbach said that when council meets again in two weeks he will put a resolution forward to council asking that FC Cincinnati give back 25% of the money, which is what council asked social service agencies to return.

FC Cincinnati's majority owner is Carl Lindner III, co-chief executive officer of American Financial Group and one of Cincinnati's wealthiest business men. The pandemic has been a blow to major league sports, including Major League Soccer. FC Cincinnati played just two road games this season before the league suspended play March 12.

“The city approved funding to reimburse FCC for the cost of eligible public improvements, including roadway improvements, utility infrastructure, site preparation, and a parking garage," said Anne Sesler, a team spokeswoman. "The new West End Stadium itself is completely financed with private dollars, with no public money inside.”

Chris Bigham, assistant city manager and city budget director, wrote Thursday in an email to Seelbach that the city has not dispersed the money to the team yet.

The next city budget has been ravaged by this virus, Seelbach told The Enquirer.

"Police layoffs, cuts to public services and the closure of all city pools could unfortunately be on the table in the next year. Recently, the city manager asked social service programs to give back 25% of their funds to the city," he said.

"I’m calling on FC Cincinnati’s owners, successful billionaires, to stand up for firefighters, nurses, public parks and return some of the $33 million in taxpayer subsidies they received. This is a defining moment, where those with means can give back to their community, saving first responders and front-line worker jobs in our next budget."

Seelbach has never been a fan of the stadium project, which is being built in the city's West End, adjacent to the city's urban core. Council, in a 5-3 vote, approved the project in 2017, calling the team's privately funded a $250 million stadium an investment in the city.

The stadium is rising out of the ground, part of construction work that's still allowed.

Seelbach was one of three no-votes to build the stadium.

It also approved up to $35 million in taxpayer-funded infrastructure, which is at issue now. Bigham outlined the money given to the team:

$2.5 million of street improvement GO bond proceeds from the fiscal year 2019 capital budget. These capital funds can only be used for improvements within the right-of-way, including streets and other thoroughfares having a useful life of 20 years or more. Operating expenses are not an eligible use of these funds.

$6.3 million of miscellaneous permanent improvement revenue from Blue Ash Airport proceeds. These funds can only be used for permanent improvements, defined by state law as property, assets, or improvements certified as having an estimated useful life of five years or more.

$17 million in bond proceeds to be issued by The Port and repaid from the city’s Transient Occupancy Tax revenue. It can only be used for the limited purposes of convention center maintenance and operations, the promotion of local travel and tourism, and the stadium public infrastructure project. (Earlier projections put the amount at $19 million, which resulted in the nearly $35 million estimate, opposed to Bigham's $33-million breakdown.)

$7.1 million in bond proceeds to be issued by The Port and repaid from TIF District 4 – Downtown/OTR East. These funds can only be used for public infrastructure improvements.

Under the plan, FC Cincinnati is obligated to perform the public infrastructure work, and the city will reimburse the team. The city has not yet disbursed any funds pursuant to the development agreement, Bigham said in the email.

None of the money is technically eligible to cover operating expenses, but it could pay for city capital projects, freeing up money in that account which can be used for operating costs.

Bigham, during a Budget and Finance Committee meeting just before the council meeting, told council that the current projected budget shortfall this year is $15 million. To help cover that deficit, the city furloughed 551 full-time city employees from April 5 to May 2. And Wednesday, council signed off on the city manager clawing back up to 25% of all money the city gave to outside agencies that help the poor, which could save the city as much as $3.1 million.

The projected deficit next fiscal year, which begins July 1, remains roughly $81. This year's operating budget is $413 million.

"If that number stays that way, it's going to be pretty devastating," Bigham said.

City Manager Patrick Duhaney at the Wednesday meeting said he planned to talk to city unions about pay cuts, and he added layoffs of police officers and firefighters is a possibility.