Abilene learns from Midland
Yesterday, by an over 2 to 1 margin, the voters of our sister city to the east, Abilene, voted down a proposition to fund with public monies a "youth sports complex." This complex was touted to be a cure for low sports participation among the area youth, a cure for childhood obesity and a boon for hotel revenue for the city. Interestingly, the funding mechanism for the complex was to be to tap into Abilene's economic development fund sales tax revenue stream. Plus a large wad of private money. On top of donated land.
Sound familiar?
Well, the plan sounded familar to some Abilenians who paid attention to our sports complex. I would have been unaware of the issue were it not for a radio ad I heard on an Abilene station while cruising down I-20 last week. The ad cited our specific experience with the Midland sports complex: it's having been sold on the basis that it would not cost local taxpayers, but that the reality has turned out somewhat differently, with taxpayers spending hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to maintain the facility. And no earthquakes of tournaments, games, etc. bringing in tsunamis of hotel-tax-paying out-of-towners. We know this, eh? I am glad that someone learned from us.
A pre-election article is here (registration may be required).
...the Good Jobs for Abilene PAC, which is against using the economic development tax for a sports complex, continues to wage what treasurer Ray Ferguson said started as an "uphill battle" that now appears to be winnable.
Looks like he was right.
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9 Comments
It was a hell no.
Youth Sports Complex Funding
For -- 2,843 (26 percent)
Against -- 8,211 (74 percent)
Just remember they're not done with us yet because they'll feel the need to Fix-up downtown Midland. Expect more talk about this while people are still "thrilled" after the implosion of the big blue building downtown .
Just remember they're not done with us yet because they'll feel the need to Fix-up downtown Midland. Expect more talk about this while people are still "thrilled" after the blowed uping of the big blue building downtown .
"And no earthquakes of tournaments, games, etc. bringing in tsunamis of hotel-tax-paying out-of-towners. We know this, eh?"
Interesting. We have been to Midland/Odessa 3 times now. The first time we went for my daughters' surgery, we were nearly unable to find a room in either city to stay in.
The reason?
A softball tournament.
We ended up having to stay one night in the Midland Travelodge (we got the very last room about midnight while other out-of-towners argued on whether to take the room or move on to El Paso).
We spent the next 2 nights in a handicap-accessible room (again, last one available) in a suites hotel across from UTPB in Odessa.
The whole time, both towns were overrun with kids and parents from all over.
TXMarko: The lack of hotels in Midland/Odessa is not totally due to softball tournaments. Yes, they come, but they do not fill the hotels every weekend. What is driving hotel occupancy is the price of oil and the lack of available housing / apartments in M/O.
The weekday occupancy rates in M/O have been about 90-95% for the past two years, why do you think they are building hotels as fast as they can put them up? It isn't because of the softball tournaments.
Regardless, Midland hasn't spent that much public money on their softball fields, given their overall condition, the key to the tournaments is the PEOPLE who organize and promote them here in Midland.
Remember, you can always find ONE anecdotal data point to shore up an argument.
Ditto Ospurt. And I don't think any of the kids softball tournaments use the Citibank Ballpark, but I could be wrong. We have lots of multiple ball-diamond city parks for tournaments. The Ballpark has only one diamond.
Abilene and every other town over 5,000 people along I-20 appear to be building hotels. I guess the wind farm boom is expected to go on forever...
I don't know exactly what all was going to be in Abilene's Youth Sports Complex, but I recall going to Abilene for a couple of softball and soccer tournaments, which means they already have some of these facilities.
Things like this make me think Cities want to be like a college campus with a "Resident Recreation Fee" tacked onto every water bill.
I still remember paying a "Student Rec Fee" to fund the bonds for a facility that was built about 4 years after I graduated....(and so should NewsroomStew).
I don't think they are holding any softball tournaments at the sports complex. It only has 1 field so that would make a very long tournament.
They aren't holding any track and field events there because someone failed to include a track in the "complex".
Hotels/motels are full primarily with oilfield related people.
Just got my property tax valuation. About a 10% increase over last year's increase. I wonder if they will reduce the RATE to compensate?
I'm not holding my breath. Perry couldn't seem to grasp the idea of an "effective tax rate". I don't think property taxes will be going down or even staying the same.
Plus Perry said the city has put enough money in downtown. I guess he forgot he said that during the campaign and now it looks like the council is talking about taxpayers dumping more money into downtown.
Geesh I wish a politician would do what they say! (I'm kidding. We know politicians rarely do what they say.....)
Maybe Abilene learned something from watching Midland, but my question would be "has Midland learned anything yet"?