SAN DIEGO -- The San Diego City Council has confirmed members of a task force that will help decide the Chargers' future in San Diego.

SOUND OFF Are The Chargers Important To San Diego?

"I believe that this task force will have a very difficult challenge," Mayor Dick Murphy said.

The team, which wants a new stadium in San Diego, has made it known it will entertain offers from other cities.

"I believe the appointees ... are a diverse group in terms of occupations, gender, ethnicity, geography, interests," Murphy said, "and I think collectively they will provide a balanced perspective on this difficult issue."

Murphy said it was inaccurate to say the task force was weighted in favor of the football team, since there are one or two members for the team, one or two against it and most don't have a position.

One of the strong critics is Bruce Henderson, who challenged the city's contract with the Chargers, which includes a ticket guarantee that has cost the city $25.3 million since 1997.

"What we are very concerned about is using public funds to subsidize billionaire sports team owners who could easily afford to pay their own way," Henderson said. "We have so many other demands on our public funds."

Henderson and those he represents aren't against sports teams, he said, adding that the challenge is to find incentives that don't involve "substantial amounts of public subsidy."

He said just a presence in San Diego should be a good economic incentive to a team.

As for his role on the task force, Henderson said "participatory democracy involves adversarial positions," and that the various members are well-qualified to "vigorously defend and propose their own ideas."

Murphy repeated what has become his mantra on the issue: "The challenge for this task force is to find a way to keep the Chargers in San Diego in a fiscally responsible way that the public will support."

The task force will be asked to meet in public and make recommendations to the council by Feb. 15. Murphy said any proposal involving significant public resources should be put to a public vote.

The city won't be bound by any of the task force's recommendations.

On an 8-0 vote, with Councilman Byron Wear absent, the following 15 members were approved:

David Watson, 45, who will chair the task force. The attorney, who represents SeaWorld on its expansion plans, served on the second ballpark task force and on the San Diego Planning Commission. He was nominated by Councilwoman Toni Atkins.

Nikki Clay, 56, who will be the vice chair, served on the first ballpark task force and was president of the Holiday Bowl. She is also a member of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association board. Clay was nominated by Wear.

Henderson, 59, an attorney and former District 6 City Council member, who challenged the city's current lease with the Chargers that resulted in expansion of what is now Qualcomm Stadium. He also filed many of the lawsuits that helped delay construction of the Padres ballpark by at least two years. He was nominated by Councilman Jim Madaffer.

Cassandra Clady, a senior tax compliance representative for the Employment Development Department's Tax Branch. Clady, 36, lives in Oak Park and was nominated by Councilman George Stevens.

Pepper Coffey, a community activist who serves on the Otay Mesa Planning Group and the San Diego Airport Advisory Committee for Brown Field and Montgomery Field. She chaired a group opposed to the expansion of Brown Field.

Timothy Considine, 61, a certified public accountant who has served on the boards for the San Diego State University Foundation and Aztec Athletic Foundation.

Tom Fat, 61, who owns a restaurant and was on the first ballpark task force. He has a bachelor's degree in business and a law degree.

Karen Heumann, 38, an attorney who chairs the Rancho Bernardo Community Planning Board. She was nominated by Councilman Brian Maienschein.

Bill Largent, 65, a senior logistician and a retired U.S. Navy chief warrant officer. The Chargers season-ticket holder was nominated by Councilwoman Donna Frye.

Joseph Martinez, 53, president of an architecture firm and a member of the Qualcomm Stadium Board.

Geoff Patnoe, 29, executive director of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association. He worked on behalf of the proposition that authorized ballpark construction.

Patti Roscoe, 59, chair of a destination management company. She also is chair-elect of the San Diego International Sports Council and is on the Super Bowl XXXVII Host Committee.

Ron Saathoff, 53, president of the San Diego city firefighters union. He is on the retirement board for city employees and on the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce's executive board. Murphy said he was recommended by the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.

Leonard Simon, 53, a lawyer who has worked in the field of sports law and is a part-owner in the Lake Elsinore Storm minor league affiliate of the Padres. Councilman Ralph Inzunza Jr. nominated him.

Jeffrey Smith, 54, a development manager for a real estate investment firm and vice chair of the Rancho Penasquitos Planning Board. He was nominated by Councilman Scott Peters.

Murphy said there was at least one appointee from every City Council district.

The Chargers' contract, under which the city invested about $78 million in stadium improvements, commits the team to publicly owned Qualcomm Stadium until 2020. But a clause could allow the franchise to move to another city under certain circumstances that could be triggered at the end of the year.

In the spring, the Chargers were being courted by a Los Angeles group that wanted to build a stadium and attract a National Football League team there. That proposal has been dropped, at least for now.