A proposed funding agreement to shore up the Southwest light rail line’s budget drew criticism on Wednesday from some members of the Metropolitan Council — the very body that is supposed to approve the deal.

Just over two weeks ago, the Met Council announced that it had reached an agreement with Hennepin County to close an estimated $272 million shortfall in the project’s budget. The county would pay 55%, with the council covering the rest.

But since then, several members of the council questioned the structure of the pact, which calls for the Met Council to pay its share using federal funds that would have paid for a diverse slate of public transportation projects throughout the seven-county metro area. Now, they say, the money will go to one big project — the $2.7 billion Southwest line, which will operate solely in Hennepin County.

“I’m not seeing the benefit to the rest of us,” said Council Member Wendy Wulff, whose district encompasses suburbs in Scott and Dakota counties.

“This is a terrible agreement,” added Wulff at a council meeting Wednesday. “We should be saying no.”

The deal announced Aug. 21 must still be approved by the full council, which consists of 16 members appointed by the governor, and also by the Hennepin County board. Both are expected to vote on the matter sometime this fall. It’s unclear what would happen if the pact fails to win approval.

Met Council Chair Charlie Zelle said he negotiated the deal with Hennepin County, with help from the governor’s office, and he stands by it. Before the framework was crafted, there was no mechanism to require Hennepin County to pitch in any more money, he said, calling the pact “a great achievement.”

But there’s another rub for some council members: No one knows just how much money will be needed to finish Southwest, which will connect downtown Minneapolis to Eden Prairie beginning in 2027. The project is about 75% completed.

Last spring, the shortfall was estimated to be $272 million, but the council said it won’t know a final number until January. Council staff are working on a risk assessment needed to finalize the budget with representatives from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), which has kicked in $929 million to help build the 14.5-mile line.

Reports have since surfaced that the shortfall is closer to $400 million, but Zelle said Wednesday “I have no idea where that number came from.”

Council members were so aggrieved over the proposed Southwest deal, they delayed a vote that would have approved $75 million in funding from Hennepin County to move the Blue Line light rail extension forward. That project would link downtown Minneapolis to Brooklyn Park beginning in 2030.

A vote on the Blue Line funding is expected to take place Sept. 13.