There was bad news for those hoping to bring Major League Soccer to San Diego today.
The nine council members of the SD City Council voted 1-8 against funding a Special Election this November. Without it, there is no opportunity for the Soccer City initiative to be approved in time for December 2017, when MLS will award two new franchises.
The option for a privately financed ballot remains a long shot. More likely the Mayor technically has a line veto, and could send it back to the Council for a June 19 rethink.
Nick Stone, the spokesman for the investment group FS Investors addressed the meeting, as did Landon Donovan and Shannon MacMillan.
Nine Councilmembers: Council President Myrtle Cole, Barbara Bry, Lorie Zapf, Chris Ward, David Alvarez, Mark Kersey, Chris Cate, Scott Sherman and Georgette Gómez voted on the resolution, with Sherman being the sole vote to allocate the funding.
City Council action was be required to meet the MLS December 2017 deadline because San Diego voters passed a measure last November requiring initiatives such as SoccerCity to be forced to wait until the next general election, in this case 2018 unless the Council decided otherwise.
Mayor Kevin L. Faulconer had already approved $5m for the special election.
Outside City Hall, pro MLS demonstrators had gathered for what they were calling Elimination Round #1.
More on San Diego bid:
Poll shows SDSU leadership out of touch with students on MLS
[INTERVIEW] Nick Stone: San Diegans watch more MLS than even the cities with clubs in the league
[VIDEO] Landon Donovan: I wanted to be an owner not a player
San Diego MLS Supporters Group launched
Donovan jokes about coming out of retirement to play for San Diego in MLS
