A divided Metropolitan King County Council gave final approval Monday to spend $135 million in taxpayer funds on the Mariners ballpark despite objections that the billion-dollar company could pay for its own needs.
The 5-4 vote was largely academic after the council had already voted the same way during a committee meeting on the funding earlier this month.
But it ends a saga that began in May when the Mariners tentatively reached a new 25-year lease with the Public Facilities District that oversees the ballpark. The team said it would only sign the lease if the council approved County Executive Dow Constantine’s proposal for $180 million in public funds to fix wear and tear at the 19-year-old stadium.