At an epic (80-minute!) press availability ostensibly held to announce the contents of this year's families and education levy this morning, Mayor Mike McGinn said he would veto three agreements between the city and the state that are necessary for construction to move forward on the deep-bore tunnel. Mike O'Brien is the only council member expected to vote against the agreements, giving the council a veto-proof eight-member majority in favor of the agreements.

"I was pretty clear that I don't believe we should enter into these agreements with the state while we are at the risk of cost overruns, and …that remains the [case]," McGinn said. "The agreement still does not protect us from cost overruns.

"If those agreements do not protect us, I will veto them," McGinn continued.

McGinn added that he supports letting "the people weigh in" on the tunnel, a reference to two initiatives aimed at expressing disapproval of the project. However, he said he would not be endorsing any anti-tunnel city council contenders in the August and November elections. "I believe those seats belong to the people," he said.

I'll have more on the sprawling press event---attended by just about every reporter in town, most of whom wanted to talk about the tunnel, not the education levy---momentarily.