Groups: Ideas to use future WOW money miss the mark 2012/02/01 at 12:37 pm
Almost a dozen local nonprofits and two city departments have pitched ideas for using future hotel-motel tax revenue that Wonders of Wildlife has decided to relinquish. But two groups tasked with reviewing the proposals have said they don?t think any ideas hit the mark.
City Manager Greg Burris had asked members of the Springfield Hotel-Lodging Association and the Convention Visitors Bureau to weigh in on the proposals, solicited over the course of about a month.
Ideas for using the money ? about $330,000 is expected to be available annually for 15 years ? ranged from funding public art to paying off existing debt on Jordan Valley Park or other projects.
Based on a legal reading of the ballot language when the tax was approved in 1998, Burris had limited requests to those that involve capital expenses and will ?promote recreation, education, tourism, and the local economy.?
In a Jan. 24 letter, representatives of the hotel association and visitors bureau said they think the intent of the tax measure was even narrower, with an emphasis on projects that would draw visitors to Springfield ? thus generating more hotel-motel tax revenue.
?They feel that they were very clearly told when the tax was being considered in 1998 that the purpose was to increase travel and tourism. They want to make sure the money will be used that way when it?s reallocated,? said Tracy Kimberlin, president of the visitors bureau. ?We have an opportunity here to cause something significant to happen.?
Kimberlin said the groups discussed the idea, proposed by city Finance Director Mary Mannix-Decker, of applying the leftover tax revenue toward existing debt, allowing a portion of the tax to sunset an estimated three years early.
That idea had appeal, he said, ?but I think they all felt they would rather see it spent on something significant that would benefit their business.?
None of the current proposals fit the bill, the letter says, suggesting the city create a task force to study the issue and solicit a wider range of ideas over a longer period of time.