MARION - By a unanimous vote Monday, the Marion City Council approved a small sales tax increase to help seal the deal on a professional baseball team locating in Marion next year.

The one-quarter of one cent increase translates to about a quarter extra for every $100 spent by the consumer in Marion whether it be city resident or out-of-towner.

Half of that amount or about $450,000 a year will be dedicated to retiring a $15 million loan Alton investor John Simmons has lined up with The Bank of Marion.

With one-eighth of the tax earmarked for the baseball project, the remaining eighth will boost the city's general fund. The tax becomes effective July 1 of this year.

"As far as I'm concerned, this decision is a no-brainer," Marion Mayor Bob Butler said. "It's a win-win situation for us no matter how you look at it. Baseball will bring first-class sport entertainment to the area and our area will receive some notice or publicity we would not have otherwise received."

Butler said the luring of a professional baseball team could lead to other spinoff businesses and enhance further economic development.

"Other projects that we've supported with a sales tax increase like the Illinois Centre mall have proven very beneficial to the community," Butler said. "And that mall never would have been built without the city's involvement."

Butler said it isn't every day a city the size of Marion has the chance to land a professional baseball team at such minimal investment and the council isn't about to let that opportunity slip away now.

"Sometimes, opportunity only knocks once," the mayor said. "We, as a city, don't want to take a chance at losing out on this opportunity."

Southern Illinois Baseball Group spokesman Dennis Poshard said it was great to see the city stand behind the project.

"A lot of hard work is finally beginning to pay dividends thanks to the Marion City Council and the leadership of Mayor Butler," Poshard said. "We're very excited about what this means for Southern Illinois."

Poshard explained that Simmons couldn't attend Monday's council meeting because he was in Savannah, Ga., Monday to tend to business with the minor league team he purchased in December.

"John and I hope that by the end of March, we should be looking at a major groundbreaking ceremony here in Marion," Poshard said.

Longtime city commissioner Robert "Dog" Connell said the quarter-cent increase isn't going to amount to much of a hit in the wallet for the taxpayer.

"It's not that big a deal," he said. "We're doing this like we would with any other prospective industry that would be good for economic development. We believe professional baseball will benefit the city. If it's not, we'll stop the sales tax money."

Commissioner Jay Rix said he had his concerns about raising taxes in the community, but after careful study, believes the pluses far outweigh the minuses.

"This is not a tax on groceries and medicine, but on merchandise purchased," Rix said. "And it's such a trivial amount to help get the state to kick in what they're going to (Gov. Rod Blagojevich has designated $3 million for the baseball project in this year's budget). I can't find where building a ballpark will hurt us. We know it's at least going to help our restaurants, hotels and service stations."

Commissioner Gary Turnbull said he was also in favor of the tax increase to support the baseball project.

"It (baseball) will be a good shot in the arm for Marion," Turnbull said. "It will bring additional revenue along with good entertainment for the people here. One quarter of a cent extra is not going to add up to much for the taxpayer. I think it's a good tradeoff."

Turnbull said the tax increase may never have been a consideration if the city had to take part in ownership of the team or stadium.

"With Mr. Simmons owning both, it's more likely he will want to stay and make things work out," Turnbull said. "And with the team playing 70 to 72 games a year here, that means some people affiliated with the team will be moving here. It means a lot of people traveling to Marion to watch a weekend series and spending their money here.

"Another positive is that all the teams that come here will be advertising that they will be playing in Marion," Turnbull said. "That's name recognition you can't buy."

Commissioner Bob Boyt said professional baseball will add to the Marion economy and be good for the entire region.

"Anything that stimulates wholesome fun for the community is good for the community," he said, "and at a pretty inexpensive cost for us. We've been considering this tax increase for quite some time now. I think it's the right thing for us to do."

With the bank loan now secured, the purchase of 31 acres of land for the construction of the new stadium a done deal and the backing of the city council in the form of a sales tax increase, Simmons now has all his ducks in a row to purchase a second minor league team.

An announcement on that purchase could be forthcoming within the next week or two.

Simmons is looking to buy a team from the Class A Midwest League, which he would move to Marion next year. An estimated cost of the entire project is $25 million.

john.homan@thesouthern.com 618-997-3356 x15807