Mayor Jones and CM Whyte spar over Spurs arena funding

At an Aug. 6 meeting, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones tried to call for a “strategic pause” on negotiating a financing deal for a new Spurs arena. The majority of the council members, including Councilman Marc Whyte, indicated they want staff to push ahead.   The latest possible breakdown has the city providing $350-$500 million, the county kicking in up to $311 million (if voters approve), and the Spurs covering $500 million and any cost overruns. The arena could run to $1.5 billion, though, and Jones pointed out that a final cost hasn’t been provided yet.   Spurs Sports & Entertainment Chief Legal Officer Bobby Perez told Jones later in the meeting that the team had asked the city for $500 million. “If that's all you're going to put in, $500 (million), we've got to figure out how to get to $1.5 billion. That's on us. Right? And we gotta go figure it out,” he said.