CLEVELAND, Ohio — Mayor Justin Bibb’s idea to make visitors, not just residents, help pay for stadium repairs sparked a flood of online reactions — with Facebook users largely mocking the plan and Reddit users yearning for a long-overdue correction to years of taxpayers funding stadiums.
Bibb wants to form what’s called a “New Community Authority,” or NCA — a special district that could charge small fees on things like parking, food and drinks at businesses near Progressive Field and Rocket Arena. The money would go toward paying for the more expensive repairs and upgrades at the stadiums.
More money is needed because countywide “sin” taxes on alcohol and cigarettes haven’t covered repair costs in recent years. Last December, Cleveland and Cuyahoga County approved a $40 million bailout for Gateway, the joint city-county authority that owns and manages the ballpark and arena…