BOSTON — A top Massachusetts lawmaker expects the state government and governor to take a firm stand against any taxpayer funding for Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Olympics.
"We do not want to put ourselves in a position of having to provide any kind of operating subsidy, or subsidy to close a deficit with the Olympics," state Senate President Stan Rosenberg said Tuesday.
Should the group organizing the bid approach the state legislature for money in the state budget, it would face "very serious problems," he added.
Boston’s bid committee repeatedly has pledged that if the city is awarded the Olympics, no tax dollars would be used on sports venues or for operational costs. Organizers have said public investment would be restricted to infrastructure improvements that are needed even if the city does not host the games.
Rosenberg’s comments came a day after Boston 2024 committee disclosed that six of its 10 full-time staffers were earning annual salaries of more than $100,000, led by chief executive Richard Davey’s $300,000 a year salary. The group also revealed that former Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick, who was named as a consultant to promote the Olympic effort overseas, would be paid $7,500 for each day he travels.
Asked about Patrick’s stipend, Rosenberg joked that Massachusetts was famous for "good jobs at good wages," but added that he had no objections to organizers hiring top talent to pursue the games.
He said legislative leaders and Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, have discussed bringing in their own unpaid outside experts to assist state officials with the Olympic planning process.
No Boston Olympics, a group that was formed to oppose bringing the games to Boston, mockingly released its own salary list on Tuesday, making clear that all of its members were volunteers who earned no pay whatsoever.
Boston 2024, a private non-profit group, made the salaries public after a request to do so from Democratic Mayor Marty Walsh, who strongly supports the Olympic effort.
Erin Murphy, its chief operating officer and chief bid officer, earns $215,000 annually, while chief administrative officer Joe Rull’s salary is $175,000.
Patrick, the former two-term Democratic governor who left office in January, said he had been retained as a consultant to help promote the bid to members of the International Olympic Committee.
Rome and Boston are the only declared 2024 candidates so far. Germany will decide later this month between Hamburg and Berlin as its candidate. Paris is among the other potential contenders. The IOC will select the host city in 2017.
Murphy said Patrick will not be a full-time salaried employee and his pay will be based on his travel and overall efforts on behalf of Boston 2024. While the full extent of his work has not been determined, Murphy said, when he travels he will be compensated $7,500 per day.
"Governor Patrick has a passionate voice and unbridled enthusiasm for promoting Boston and Massachusetts to the world and believes the Olympic and Paralympic Games can greatly benefit the Commonwealth," she said.
Baker expressed impatience with progress made in finalizing key elements of the Olympic bid, including proposed locations for various sports venues.
"I mean, time (is) wasting," Baker said. "There are still many unanswered questions associated with this, and I think the most important thing for (Boston 2024) at this point is to actually start building out the plan."
