A finalized lease agreement with a potential Phoenix Coyotes buyer has yet to emerge publicly but a Glendale City Council majority appears poised to approve a $17 million fee to operate the city-owned arena.

That's the price City Manager Ed Beasley said former San Jose Sharks chief and Coyotes suitor Greg Jamison has verbally agreed upon to manage Jobing.com Arena next year.

The figure is expected to be included in Glendale's preliminary budget, which council members will vote on Tuesday. The budget must close a $35 million shortfall city officials blame on decreased tax hauls, state assistance and two $25 million pledges to the National Hockey League to keep the Coyotes in Glendale.

In February,Glendale staffers penciled in $20 million in arena operations costs for the next four years and a decreased fee of $15 million beginning in 2017. Beasley, Glendale's top negotiator said last month that Jamison had agreed to a lesser fee for next year. Another city official said the deal would average out to a $14.5 million annual fee for Glendale over the 20-year lease term.

The city has not specifically outlined what the management fee would cover and Jamison would not elaborate when asked about it last week.

A Glendale spokeswoman said the fee is likely to cover all operations costs for the arena, from staffing to electric bills, but could not provide a specific breakdown of costs. She said city leaders are working to come to a deal with Jamison that would be in "the best interest of Glendale and the citizens of Glendale."

Four of seven Glendale council members have said they see the $17 million management fee as a placeholder in the city's budget. The city must manage the arena whether the Coyotes stay in Glendale or not, and if a deal is not reached with Jamison, the budgeted amount allows the city to put arena management up for bid.

The four council members say they see the $17 million as a reasonable cost based on information city staffers have provided and that keeping the Coyotes in Glendale is crucial for the city's economic future.

Vice Mayor Steve Frate said he feels comfortable approving the fee in the preliminary budget because it won't be effective until council sees a finalized deal. He expects one soon.

"The $17 million is a placeholder and not allocated until an agreement is voted on by council," he said.

Mayor Elaine Scruggs and Councilman Phil Lieberman say they want more information about what it costs to operate the arena before they vote.

Scruggs said she plans to vote against the proposed budget, which also includes increases in sales and secondary-property taxes.

"I cannot vote for a budget that includes money for an arena-management agreement without seeing a final arena-management agreement with all the costs to the city outlined for at least the first five years," the mayor said. "It's irresponsible and I think somewhat unethical."

Tuesday's vote, a first step in the process to approve a deal with Jamison, comes two weeks after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league had reached a preliminary deal with the Californian to purchase the team.

Jamison and Bettman, who spoke before a Coyotes playoff game, said they hope a deal could be reached within weeks.

Most council members are confident, too.

Councilwoman Yvonne Knaack said she expects a deal to surface before the council votes on both the preliminary and final budget.

"I believe the urgency is understood," Knaack said. "By the time we vote on the final budget, we'll know exactly what we're going to do. There won't be any guessing."

The City Council is set to vote on finalized budget on June 12.