SAN DIEGO -- The city of Escondido voted 4-1 to authorize building of a Marriott hotel next to Escondido City Hall.

Escondido City Council has put off the vote for months, but the plan has been in the works for almost a decade.

"I hope you get your jobs, but not at the expense of our taxpayer dollars," Escondido resident Wayne Louth told 10News

Before the vote, Escondido residents traded opposing views on the the hotel.

"We are paying for it," said Louth. "They are using taxpayer money."

"I think it would be better for the commerce of Escondido and people have the wrong idea about this place," said Kimberly Calender, another Escondido resident.

Inside council chambers, a packed house was split for and against the seven-story, 198-room Marriot hotel next to city hall.

"We have events here all the time," said Harvey Mitchell with Escondido Chamber of Commerce. "Folks will come, we have the arts center."

The hotel will cost $69 million to build. More than $10 million will come from taxpayers.

Mitchell said the hotel would bolster tourism and jobs and bring conventions to town.

"This hotel is going to have a conference center that is part of the center of arts right now. They are going to spend money on that, remodel that so we are going to have small conventions here," he said.

But local developer James Crone said the city is ptractically giving its $26 million convention center to the developer for free.

"The city will receive zero revenue based on tonight's proposal on any money that is earned by conventions being here," said Crone. "They only get to participate from the income from the hotel itself."

Opponents fear the hotel will not turn a profit and the city would have to use even more taxpayer money to maintain it or tear it down.

The hotel should take about 18 months to build. The expected start date has not been decided yet.