Last year Cincinnati City Council approved tax incentives totaling roughly $35 million for FC Cincinnati stadium infrastructure needs.

But council may have made a promise it can't keep. Roughly $17 million of that amount was to come from the city's portion of the local hotel tax, which can only be spent with approval from the Convention Facilities Authority, which oversees that hotel tax.

The board has publicly said it supports the soccer stadium project, but has been reluctant to sign off on allowing the city to use money for the stadium for two reasons, according to an email sent to Convention Facility Authority board members Friday from Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Aluotto.

They are:

• The hotel tax money is now used for maintaining the Duke Energy Convention Center, and the board wants assurances the city would still do that, even if the money has to come from other sources.

• If the hotel tax ever falls shorts of collecting what is needed to cover $1.3 million in annual debt payments on the Sharonville Convention Center, the city would cover that payment.

The former issue is less of a problem since the city owns the Duke Energy Convention Center and the lease calls for the city to do upkeep on it.

The latter is the sticking point, according to Aluotto's email.

Mayor John Cranley Monday night said the city and county have already agreed to let the city use its portion of the hotel tax on the stadium infrastructure. The city passed the necessary legislation, Cranley said. It's the county that's holding up turning over the money, he said, though he's not sure why.

"The county must do the same, but has not done so and has instead proposed conditions that have nothing to do with the city getting control of city dollars, would create new liabilities, and would make the city commitment to FCC impossible," Cranley said. "I hope the county will do what was promised a year ago. If not, the continued construction of the stadium may be delayed or stopped."

Cranley added, "The city has done all it will do, and whether the infrastructure gets built or not is now in the county’s hands.... But obviously FCC and the community is harmed greatly if the county refuses to meet its commitment and construction is stopped."

So now, as it comes time for FC Cincinnati to start spending the money, it's another battle between the county and city over regional matters and it's pitting the FC Cincinnati's privately funded $250 million stadium in the West End against the needs of the suburban convention center.

Stadium construction is underway, but some issues have caused delays and team lawyers have publicly said they're worried about the project being completed by the March 2021 deadline.

Team officials could not be reached for comment, but they've said in the past the incentives are key to building the stadium.

The Convention Facilities Authority is set to discuss the matter at a Tuesday afternoon meeting.

The board supports the project, but it also has to balance the needs of county tourism, said Aluotto, who has been helping broker the deal, and spoke to the Enquirer Monday.

"This is an important provision to show support for the entire countywide convention and visitor structure," Aluotto said.

Sharonville Mayor Kevin Hardman agrees.

"We are supportive of the efforts of the City of Cincinnati to help FCC and the building of the stadium," Hardman, who is also a Convention Center Authority member, told The Enquirer. "However, that can only happen where past commitments to regional tourism in Hamilton County are supported."

Council promised the team $34.8 million. Of that $17 million was to come from the city's portion of the hotel tax, which the team would then use to borrow more money, at its own expense.

The hotel tax fight is the latest in a series of stadium buildings issues.

It's unclear if the team will win a zoning request it needs for the stadium entrance, a matter that's set for a council vote Thursday. Some council members are concerned about West End residents being displaced from buildings the team bought just north of the stadium site.

Parking garage promises to provide 1,000 spaces to the team made by the county aren't solidified yet.

"The County and City continue to discuss this matter and it is my hope that resolution is reached by the time of the CFA Board meeting," Aluotto said in the email. "If not, I would still suggest the CFA Board convene in order to obtain an update on this issue. It is not a simple issue and there is a great deal of associated and complex history."

Hotel tax collections for 2018 distribution came in at $13.2 million and it's on the rise thanks to tourism increases and a new hotel boom.

The hotel tax goes to pay debt service on the Duke Energy Convention Center and whatever is left over goes to city- or county-chosen projects.

For instance, the city's residual money in 2018 went to convention center capital needs, the mural project that lines the outside of the convention center and the Convention and Visitors Bureau for tourism marketing. That money, under the new plan, would go to the team to be used for stadium infrastructure needs.The county's residual money goes to debt payments on the Sharonville Convention Center, maintenance needs there, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, and as on the city side, the mural project.

In the past, the city contributed $1 million annually to the hotel tax fund and the county contributed $250,000 annually to the fund to make sure it could cover debt payments on the Duke Energy Convention Center.

But that ended by agreement when hotel tax collections began increasing by enough money to cover tourism needs. At the time the city agreed to help the county with Sharonville Convention Center debt payments if it ever came to that, recognizing that the county hotel tax portion has long supported the Duke Energy Convention Center.

This new plan would replace the current one and is considered an amendment to the Duke Energy Convention Center operating agreement. So the board wants the language to include the Sharonville Convention Center promise.