Council to defer Predators vote

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • March 31, 2008 The Metro Council will defer the final vote on a new arena lease for the Nashville Predators after its budget committee decided today that it needed more time to consider the issue. The committee voted to defer the vote by one meeting. By rule, the full council will do the same when it meets Tuesday night, pushing the vote back to April 15. The Budget and Finance Committee will hold a called meeting April 8 at 4:30 p.m. so members can ask questions about the deal, which the Predators' new owners have said they need to have a chance to succeed financially. The meeting will be open to the public. Mayor Karl Dean's administration negotiated the new lease proposal for the city. The Metro Sports Authority approved it March 18.