Ga. High Court Rejects Challenge To Falcons Stadium Financing

Georgia's highest court has rejected a challenge to the city of Atlanta using taxpayer revenue to help finance a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.

The unanimous opinion published Monday by the Georgia Supreme Court says the financing structure does not violate the state Constitution. Construction of the stadium for the Atlanta Falcons is already well underway.

A group of Atlanta residents was challenging the city's plan to issue $200 million in bonds for the stadium. They argued the issuance of the bonds was unconstitutional because of an amendment to a 2010 state law governing the use of the city's hotel-motel taxes.

The court disagreed.

"There is nothing arbitrary or unreasonable about allowing the same taxing entities that already have experience paying for a multipurpose domed stadium facility through the collection of a 7 percent hotel-motel tax…to collect such a tax in the future to fund a different stadium after the first tax has expired," the decision read.

At a hearing in May, a judge issued an order rejecting their objections and confirming and validating the bonds for the stadium. The high court upheld that ruling.

Contributors: WXIA-TV

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