What does 'on the hook' mean in this sentence?
"We can't keep taxpayers on the hook for $2 million without knowing how it will move the city forward."

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We can't expect the taxpayers to contribute two million dollars... I looked up the article this sentence comes from, it sounds like it was potentially an arrangement that could have gone on for many years. It is talking about Philadelphia declining to sanction two million dollars in funding for the Forbes conference because they are unsure of the benefits that it will bring the city.