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In a split vote Tuesday, the board of the downtown revitalization district approved a $17.4 million projects budget and a $1.4 million operating budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

On the list, Rio Nuevo’s spending plans include:

• $4.3 million on a parking garage for a new hotel on Broadway.
• $3.7 million to renovate the Tucson Convention Center Arena to get it ready for the Arizona Coyotes minor-league hockey team.
• $2.2 million to expand the Mercado San Agustin retail center west of downtown.
• $2 million to help Caterpillar establish a regional headquarters here.

At the request of board member Cody Ritchie, the board reduced its planned spending on marketing and public relations from $238,500 to $205,000, making it about 15 percent of Rio Nuevo’s operating budget.

“We do have a lot of good momentum, but I think we have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars,� Ritchie told the board.

Board members Jannie Cox and Edmund Marquez argued the money would be well spent to bring additional visitors to downtown Tucson , which in turn increases the sales tax revenue that comes to Rio Nuevo.

The last-minute change in the marketing budget caused the board to vote 3-2 to approve the budget. Ritchie, Fletcher McCusker and Mark Irvin voted yes. Cox and Marquez voted no. Chris Sheafe abstained. Jeffrey Hill was absent.