| Redhead 18,
Your vote did count concerning the SEC. People have different interpretations on what exactly happened on that vote. What the ballot said, more or less, should we build a Special Events Center, not to exceed 20 million dollars, in the Wright Park area? The vote came back with somewhere around 68% of the voters saying no.
Now the 20 million dollar question: Did the voters say no to the location, or no to the cost, or no to the event center? Maybe a combination?
I do know that with the current funds available from the sales tax, the city is not able to bond over 33 million dollars for a SEC. If the city commission does spend over 33 million, the amount over will be paid by property tax!
Kent Smoll knows this fact very well. That's why, a few weeks ago, he was the only vote against giving sales tax money to non-profit entities. (Round-up, Boot Hill, Trail of Fame, Depot Theater, just to name afew.)
Most people (myself excluded) who want to build a SEC are wanting to build based on the Heritage groups proposal. It is my opinion that we just don't have enough money to continue to on with our current projects, give sales tax money to non-profit groups and build a SEC.
The sales tax brings in 3.8 million dollars a year.
We spend: Legends Park (a wnd project)..... 419,000.00/year
DCRP " " " ..... 492,000.00/year
Boot Hill .......... 275,000.00/year
A special evevts center
44 million dollars= ...............2.75 million for principle and
interest
...............1.0 million for operations
Grand Total= Well....You do the Math!
No wonder Kent Smoll voted not to support Round-Up or any of the other groups. He knows we are running out of money way to fast.
Property tax is already paying for some WND projects! Property tax may be paying to build a SEC also.
It would also behove us to look into the economic impact numbers that these promoters are throwing around. I can not even begin to believe that they think we would see an impact of somewhere around 368 million dollars over five years. Give me a break!!!!  |