Hamilton won't say how much the city will pay to host the Grey Cup

The city is helping the Hamilton Tiger-Cats bid to hostthe Grey Cup, but taxpayers aren't allowed to know yet how muchhosting the gamewould cost them.

The Ticats expect to hear next month if Hamilton will host the 2020 Grey Cup. It means some city resources would be involved, including policing, paramedics, transit shuttles and road closures.

But city council voted Wednesday to keep costs private until the Ticats are awarded the game. Revealing the amount, the team says, lets other cities know what Hamilton is spending, and that's a disadvantage.

Matt Afinec, Ticats president, says disclosing it afterward is a compromise between what the city wants and the CFL's process for awarding the Grey Cup.

Accountability exists every election.So if people are that disturbed by us trying to get the Grey Cup, I guess they can make their disturbance known in the next election.- Coun. Sam Merulla

"The bid process in general is a Canadian Football League process as approved by the Canadian Football League board of governors," he said. "We have to respect that."

Not everyone was comfortable with it. John-Paul Danko, councillor for Ward 8 on the Mountain, was the only one to voteagainst the bid.

Danko said he wants Hamilton to get the Grey Cup, but he doesn'tlike the secrecy.

"Completely support #HamOnt & @Ticats Grey Cup @CFL bid partnership," Danko tweeted afterward. "Just think value of city's contribution is in public interest to release even if (the) bid isn't successful."

Others had no issues with it.

If people don't like it, "accountability exists every election," he said. "So if people are that disturbed by us trying to get the Grey Cup, I guess they can make their disturbance known in the next election."

The Ticats are leading the bid. If the team is successful, the city would have a number of responsibilities, including installing 35,000 temporary seats in Tim Hortons Field stadium.

The Ticats and the city signed a 20-year lease agreement for the stadium in 2014. Under that agreement, the two sides must make "reasonable efforts" to bid to host two Grey Cups in the first 10 years.

Afinec says he feels good about Hamilton's chances.

"We can only focus on what we can control, and what we can control is our own bid," he said. "We're confident in the bid we've presented. We have a strong case."