SYRACUSE -- Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney supports a plan to use funds from the county's hotel room occupancy tax fund to help the financially strapped Oncenter pay its bills.

The Oncenter is asking the county for a one time cash infusion of $575,000. Mahoney says the Oncenter, the downturn in the economy and a change in management contributed to the loss of revenue. " This is terrible timing because of what the county is going through with its own budget perfect storm of bad things coming together,"  Mahoney says.

In addition to the hotel room occupancy tax, the Oncenter also plans to raise tickets prices by a dollar on all hockey, orchestra and opera tickets starting next month. Tickets for concerts and other entertainment will increase by two dollars. Mahoney says the Oncenter is too important to the county's economy to let it fail. " They need help right now or else we are all going to suffer," Mahoney says.

The Onondaga County Legislature will vote on the measure on November 4th.