If the Cincinnati Bengals aren't quite satisfied with their new $403 million Paul Brown Stadium, Hamilton County taxpayers have promised to give them $5 million to spiff up the place more to their liking.

Even if the Bengals have no quibbles, the $5 million is theirs to spend on the stadium complex any way they want through the year 2026.

The Bengals also can choose to sell the stadium's name to the highest bidder - and keep the first $16.67 million. They'll split any extra - but they get to keep 70 percent and the county gets 30 percent.

Those are just some of the provisions of the deal county Administrator David Krings signed with the Bengals, with the approval of Commissioners Bob Bedinghaus, John Dowlin and Tom Neyer Jr., on May 29, 1997.

The terms of the deal - which ultimately will cost every Hamilton County resident over $800 apiece - are fueling a backlash against the 0-3 Bengals.

That anger reached a flash point last week after Bengals President Mike Brown threatened to block the plans of the red-hot and newly beloved Cincinnati Reds to install grass at Cinergy Field.

Carl Spaeth, 80, of the East End, is fed up with the Bengals. Some time last week he began calling his hometown "Brown Town" because of what he believes are unreasonable benefits the team has been receiving at his expense.

"I feel as 90 percent of the so-called authorities feel," Spaeth said. "We were taken for a ride - a big bad ride - and that's all water over the dam. We're going to be paying for how many years?"

Unless county officials make accelerated payments, taxpayers will pay $698.7 million in principal and interest through Dec. 1, 2027 for the football arena and adjoining team offices. The Bengals' lease expires June 30, 2026, although it can be extended by five two-year terms.

The principal and interest payments work out to $806.61 per county resident, and do not include the $30 million in state funds pouring into the project.

It also doesn't include the costs of the stadium taxpayers are building for the Cincinnati Reds or the various riverfront improvements that are being built in conjunction with the two stadiums.

"This is just an extreme example of corporate welfare," said Mark Rosentraub, director of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University in Indianapolis. He wrote a book called "Major League Losers," whose hardcover edition dealt in detail with Cincinnati's stadium building.

Aside from Brown's threat to block the grass at Cinergy, several other factors have raised taxpayers' tempers: The Post in April reported the county guaranteed in writing that this stadium would be at least as good as those of the Carolina Panthers and the Baltimore Ravens. In addition to the stadium, the county is buying $107,500 in X-ray equipment, wet bars and a 36,800-square-foot, $2.67 million team administrative offices. The Post also revealed the cost of the offices does not include the stylish furniture and 26-seat boardroom table taxpayers also are purchasing, including an estimated $135,800 for 679 sleek wooden-backed chairs decorated with laser-etched team logos, a custom-built $4,189 desk and $4,393 credenza. The county also will spend $3.26 million to install four state-of-the-art football fields: A heated one for game days in the new stadium, the other three at the adjacent practice facility. Some African-American businesses have sued the county, arguing the county broke a promise to provide 15 percent of the stadium construction to minorities and women-owned businesses. County officials say the figure was merely a goal. As the Bengals have stumbled to seven consecutive losses this season - going 0-3 in the regular season and 0-4 during the preseason - speculation has grown that the county may have to pay the Bengals as much as $7 million if the team doesn't draw enough fans to the first 20 games at the new stadium.

The county guaranteed at least 50,000 tickets would be sold for each of those games. Through mid-August, 40,191 personal seat licenses were sold.

County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus this week said he expects the team to easily beat the 50,000 level at every game, despite the recent string of losses.

Experts say that among the stadium deals that have been arranged with professional sports teams, the Bengals' was among the best for the team.

By contrast, Kansas City Chiefs owner Lamar Hunt, the majority investor/owner of the Columbus Crew Major League Soccer team, recently paid the full cost of the Crew's $28.5 million, 22,485-seat stadium on land that is leased from the state for $50,000 per year, said team spokesman Jeff Wuerth.

Two Bengals' spokesmen did not return calls for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Copyright 1999 The Cincinnati Post