Sports

New stadium obstacle emerges as Vikings offer more

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Sep 1, 2011 at 10:39 am

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings say the team is willing to pay more for a suburban Twin Cities stadium, but the deal faces another complication as the state Senate majority leader insists on a public vote.

The Star Tribune reports Thursday (http://bit.ly/rg2mRW) that Vikings vice president Lester Bagley says the team could "potentially" go above the $407 million it pledged to the more than $1 billion project. Currently, the shares proposed for the team, its Ramsey County hosts and the state fall short of the total cost.

The Vikings hope to strike a final deal so Gov. Mark Dayton can call a special session this fall. But Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch tells Fox 9 News Thursday that the proposal should "require" a vote by Ramsey County taxpayers who would be subject to a half-cent sales tax increase to cover their share.

Supporters have said requiring a public vote would almost certainly kill the project.