The city of Phoenix plans to spend $150 million to upgrade Talking Stick Resort Arena.

So when, you might wonder, do the citizens of Phoenix get to weigh in on whether they want to spend $150 million to keep the Phoenix Suns happy?

When will they be asked whether they want to toss in another $25 million over the course of the 15-year deal?

Better yet, when does the city plan to schedule a public vote on shelling out $175 million for a sports facility when the city has a crying need for more police officers and fewer potholes?

If you answered never, then congratulations. You can see which way this particular ball is bouncing.

In fact, the deal’s already been cut and the votes rounded up. Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver has been meeting one-on-one this week with City Council members to get them on board.

Public input, schmublic input

All that’s left to do now is inform the public.

This so you can have “input” into how your money is being spent before next Wednesday’s vote to spend it.

If only the Suns were as fast on their feet as city officials, who insist that the deal cannot, possibly wait until citizens can actually see and consider whether this is the way they want to spend their money.

Or until, say, the city gets a new mayor.

Where’s the fire, you wonder?

I suspect it started in November when Kate Gallego smoked her opponents in the four-way Phoenix mayor’s race. Two days later, she announced that "spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a huge renovation for the Phoenix Suns is not a priority for me."

Suddenly, the movers started moving and the shakers started shaking to get this deal done before it gets mixed into the campaign for the March runoff election, which Gallego is the odds-on favorite to win.

It's got to be NOW

Several Republic staffers met Thursday afternoon with City Manager Ed Zuercher and interim Phoenix Mayor Thelda Williams so that they could lay out the deal and explain the reasons for the fast track that can’t slow down for actual public input …

… That it’ll keep the Suns downtown, avoiding a possible early exit from the team’s lease in 2022.

… That it’ll avoid the need to go to arbitration and possibly get stuck with a bigger renovation bill.

... That it'll be paid out of a tourism tax and not from Phoenix taxpayers -- never mind that that money could be spent on other city priorities.

… That there is not a minute to waste. It has to be approved right here, right now – with no real time for citizen input – or the narrow window to fix the joint in 2019 will close.

“This is the best opportunity we have to keep that building viable for 15 or 20 years,” Zuercher said.

Meaning, in 15 or 20 years, it’ll be deemed a dump again?

Swell.

No time to answer the public's questions

Under terms of this (done) deal, the city will kick in $150 million with the Suns paying $80 million. In addition, the city will pay another $25 million into a fund for future upgrades, with the Suns putting in $12.5 million. The Suns also agreed to build a practice facility somewhere in the city.

Could the city have negotiated a 50-50 deal? Don’t know.

Do we know how much this deal will really cost when you figure in interest on the debt? Don’t know.

Do we know how many of the 40 nights a year the Suns play could be booked for other events should the team leave downtown? Don't know.

Do we know what the $200,000 consultant – hired last year to evaluate the 25-year-old arena and estimate how much in the way of renovations are needed -- concluded? Don’t know and won’t know. Zuercher said that information will remain confidential.

A year ago, when that consultant’s contract was approved, then-Councilwoman Gallego said that discussions about the arena should be put before the public sooner rather than later.

"I hope that we'll also have an open, transparent debate about this topic," she said, at the time. "I think people are entitled to participate and have the opportunity to comment on that."

Look for that “open, transparent debate” next week … right before $150 million walks out the door.

Reach Roberts at laurie.roberts@arizonarepublic.com.

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