Cleveland City Council agrees to $5.9 million loan from Browns

CLEVELAND - Cleveland City Council passed an ordinance accepting a $5.8 million loan from the Cleveland Browns to make repairs to the stadium.

The Browns, who lease Cleveland Browns Stadium for $250,000 year, asked city council during a meeting of the finance committee Monday afternoon for $5.8 million.

City council passed the issue with a vote of 16-2 Monday night, agreeing the city will repay the Browns with the city’s sin tax, which expires in 2015. There is no interest on the loan.

The team said repairs to the seats, ramps and concrete of the 12-year-old stadium need to be made immediately.

Clevelanders approved the original sin tax in 1995 that generates money from the sales of alcohol and tobacco. About $13 million a year collected from sin tax goes toward repaying the $300 million-loan on the original construction.