Burgess May Join T-Mobile Park Board After Mariners PAC Donation

SEATTLE, WA — Retired Seattle Councilman and former interim mayor Tim Burgess may join the public board that owns T-Mobile Park, an appointment that comes after Burgess helped create a political action committee that took cash from key Mariners executives.

This week, a King County Council committee approved Burgess' nomination to the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District (PFD), which owns T-Mobile Park and leases it to the Mariners.

The nomination comes after Burgess helped start the political action committee (PAC) People for Seattle that accepted $10,000 from Mariners executives John Stanton and Mikel Thomsen.

As a member of the PFD, Burgess will help oversee the operation of the T-Mobile Park under a new 25-year lease just signed with the Mariners.

The PFD was the center of attention in 2018 as it negotiated a new lease with the Mariners. As part of that deal, the Mariners were set to get $180 million in King County lodging tax revenue for maintenance. That proposal was met with public outcry because the money could be put toward building affordable housing — and this was right after Seattle repealed the head tax, which would've funded affordable housing.

The King County Council eventually bargained down to a $135 million maintenance subsidy for the Mariners, and the new 25-year lease agreement was signed in December.

At Tuesday's Council Government Accountability and Oversight Committee, Councilman Rod Dembowski asked Burgess what he thought about last year's lease negotiation. Dembowski had opposed the $180 million subsidy.

"We serve the people. Our tenant happens to be the Mariners," Burgess said. "We need to make those calls that are in the public interest as we go forward."

Burgess is one of 12 board members of the People for Seattle PAC, which was established in May to influence the Seattle City Council elections. The PAC has raised over $160,000 so far, according to state records, from some of Seattle's most influential business people. Other donors include Space Needle CEO Jeffrey Wright and Madrona Ventures manager Tom Alberg.

In another twist, Burgess will serve on the PFD board with former Seattle Mayor Charles Royer. Royer's son, Jordan, who works for the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, sits on the People for Seattle board with Burgess. Burgess told the King County Council committee this week that Charles Royer was the one who asked if Burgess would be interested in serving on the PFD.

"When a former mayor asks you to do something, you step up and say yes," Burgess told the Council committee.

But it was King County Executive Dow Constantine who ultimately nominated Burgess. Spokesman Alex Fryer said Constantine wasn't aware of the Mariners donations to the People for Seattle PAC.

"Tim Burgess was appointed by the Executive to serve on the Washington State Major League Baseball Stadium Public Facilities District because of his experience as Seattle mayor and Councilmember, as well as his deep community ties and knowledge of municipal finance," Fryer said in a statement. "The Executive did not know of Tim's current civic participation, so, no, it did not play into the decision or impact it in any way."

The committee unanimously approved Burgess' appointment to the PFD on Tuesday (Councilman Larry Gossett was not present), but the full County Council still has to sign off. If approved, Burgess would replace the seat held by former PFD chair Virginia Anderson, who actually donated $50 to People for Seattle on May 24, according to state records.

Patch has reached out to Burgess and the King County Council for comment. We will update this story if we hear back.