As the Atlanta Braves prepare for their final six games at Turner Field, their breakup from Fulton County, Ga., is becoming more strained.
According to a report by Atlanta TV station 11Alive News, the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority, which maintains public facilities that include Turner Field and Philips Arena, claims the Braves have not shared an equal portion of parking revenue for special events that take place at Turner Field when the Braves are not playing there. The result is a $400,000 shortfall of revenue to the SMP Community Fund, which serves the neighborhoods surrounding Turner Field.
The Braves are supposed to pay 50 percent of the parking revenue to the fund, the TV station reported, but the executive director of the authority, Keisha Lance Bottoms, claims the Braves have paid only 8 percent over the last six years.
The authority recently proposed a settlement in which the Braves would contribute a fixed amount to a little league baseball field or little league programs in the surrounding community of Turner Field. Earlier this month, the Braves agreed to contribute $50,000 to support a little league field near Turner Field, 11Alive News reported.
The Braves and the authority declined comment to the TV station Thursday.
Next year, the Braves begin play in SunTrust Park in Cobb County, Ga.
