Steinbrenner Owes $434,000 in Back Stadium Rental Fees

NEW YORK —  As if George Steinbrenner didn’t have enough to worry about, now New York City officials are griping that he is tardy paying his bills.

Officials say that Steinbrenner’s New York Yankees still owe the city $434,000 in stadium rental fees from 1987 and 1988, enough money for the city to buy 17,000 textbooks for junior high school students or pay the salaries of 15 new police officers for a year.

The team paid the city $1 million in March toward settling its 1987-88 bill. But, according to Michael Leonetti, chief accountant for the revenue division of the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation, the Yankees are more than six months late on the balance due.

Added Joanne Imohiosen, the department’s assistant commissioner for revenue: “They’re not prompt payers. But what are the alternatives? We obviously don’t want them to leave the city.”

Leonard Kleinman, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Yankees, said that the team is contesting the amount of money it owes and described the money paid in March as a “good-faith” payment.

Officials in the parks department and the controller’s office said that they were unaware of any dispute about the outstanding amount.