Taxes for Fargodome update and convention center on ballot again
Never mind that Fargo voters already turned down their opportunity to raise the local sales and hotel taxes to upgrade the Fargodome and fund a new convention center last December. The unexpected outcome sent the powers that be back to the drawing board to revamp their strategy fast enough to put the issue before voters again for the second time in less than a year in November.
But unlike last time, when the projects were combined into one question to be voted up or down, Inforum notes, there will be two separate questions on the ballot, giving voters the option of supporting one, both, or neither of the proposals.
The Fargo Dome Authority asked that voters decide on a 20-year, quarter-cent sales tax to improve the Fargodome. Independently, Visit Fargo-Moorhead, formerly know as the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Convention and Visitors Bureau, asked that voters decide whether to raise the city’s lodging tax from 3% to 6% to help pay for a future convention center.
A special election last December attempting to achieve both goals at the same time failed to pass, garnering 52% approval. It needed 60% approval to pass.
“In my opinion, our role is to put (the questions) to the people,” City Commissioner John Strand said before the panel voted to put both questions on the fall ballot. “It’s to let the people have the opportunity to decide.”
A survey compiled earlier this year revealed that support for the Fargodome renovations was still just short of the 60 percent necessary to pass the proposal. Supporters intend to make up the difference with the help of a $100,000 public relations campaign between now and November 5.
The City Commission’s approval will kick start a $99,500 public information campaign by the Fargo Dome Authority to inform voters of the planned improvements, including improved seating and enhanced accessibility.
“It’s one of those things that really needs to be done,” Mayor Tim Mahoney said.
David Suppes, chairman of the Fargo Dome Authority, said that 56% of people surveyed with unaided information were in support of the Fargodome renovations. He said that increases to 60% when people were provided more information about the planned improvements.
The location for the proposed convention center has also been separated from the Fargodome’s vicinity, leaving it up in the air for a future decision, unlike last year’s ballot question. The hike in the lodging tax needs a majority of votes cast to proceed.
If approved by voters, city commissioners would form a committee to assess options for the center and seek a public/private partnership before an idea is approved by city commissioners. Johnson said the nature of the public/private relationship would mean the city would own the “public part of the building.”
“We see this additional hotel/motel tax as a painless way for the citizens of Fargo to build such a facility, as the tax supporting it will be paid almost entirely by visitors to the community,” Johnson said.
Supporters blamed low turnout of just under 8,000 voters for the failure of the tax hikes to pass the first time around. No one expects that to be the case as voters flock to the polls in another contentious presidential election.