NOBLESVILLE, Ind. -- Gov. Mitch Daniels is on the road again, hoping to persuade surrounding counties to embrace his Colts stadium and convention center funding plan.

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Colts Stadium Tax?

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Daniels ran into some friction in Hamilton County Tuesday. It's a community critical to the success of his proposed 1 percent food and beverage tax and an area that's expressed resistance to the plan so far.

A failure to pass the proposal in Hamilton County could sink the entire project, RTV6 reported.

A packed house of residents quizzed Daniels about a number of issues, not all related to the proposed stadium tax, but most were there to express support or disdain for the food and beverage tax.

"I see the Colts organization as being an organization of means. I think if they are a functional and viable business, they ought to be able to have the revenue exceed the expenses without me having to subsidize them," Hamilton County resident James Sumter said.

Daniels stressed the importance of the expansion of the convention center for the economic impact for all Hoosiers.

"Obviously, there are many people who feel like we could do without a pro football team. I will tell you honestly, if this thing were just about a football team and a football stadium, it wouldn't have gotten on my list," Daniels said.

About 46,000 Hamilton County residents make their living in Marion County, a fact Daniels said makes the county's support of the stadium plan even more critical.

While a 1 percent restaurant tax would be expected to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars per year in each of the "doughnut" counties, such a tax in Hamilton County could raise more than $2 million yearly.

The Hamilton County council will vote on the tax on June 27.

Earlier Tuesday, Daniels met with a packed house in Boone County about the proposed tax.

More than 100 people turned out for the lunchtime meeting in Lebanon. One woman discussed a sliding tax for the whole state that would decrease as distance from Indianapolis increases.

Daniels said Hoosiers near state lines generally support teams such as the Bears and the Bengals, instead of the Colts. So they shouldn't have to pay for a new stadium.

The governor's next stop is a town hall meeting in Hendricks County Wednesday. It takes place at noon at the Mayberry Cafe in Danville.