PORTLAND — With just 10 months left in office, Mayor Vera Katz needs to hustle if she wants to attain her goal of bringing major league baseball to Portland.

None of the major candidates in the May 18 primary to replace her has listed baseball as a high priority.

"I don't believe it's a priority for our city," City Commissioner Jim Francesconi, the leading fund-raiser among mayoral candidates, told The Oregonian. "Before I could even consider supporting a deal, I'd have to see private money ready to be invested."

Candidate Tom Potter also rates baseball low on his list of priorities.

Other candidates said they would be open to talks with American Indians to see if they could provide the entire private financing package. But Potter, the city's former police chief, rejected that option because he said off-reservation casinos bring other problems to cities, such as prostitution and drugs.

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde offered to build a ballpark last year in exchange for the right to build a casino in the Portland area. Gov. Ted Kulongoski rejected the idea.

The mayor is scheduled for a briefing Tuesday on the stadium financing plan.

Katz, who decided against seeking re-election after 12 years in office, said the views of her potential successors are not what's driving her to push the process along.

Baseball proponents say that despite dwindling projections from Senate Bill 5, which have fallen well short of the original $150 million estimate, a finance plan can be completed without taking money from city schools or taxpayers.

Portland is trying to land the Montreal Expos, who were bought by the other 29 teams before the 2002 season. Baseball failed to meet deadlines in 2002 and 2003 on finding a new home for the team.

Baseball officials say they hope to decide by mid-July on where to move the team for 2005.