In a unanimous eight to zero vote, the Plano (Texas) City Council agreed to put the Dallas Stars arena funding on the ballot in November so that citizens can have the final say in a funding package that would contribute to the $3 billion Stars arena.
According to CBS News, Plano city officials are proposing a $700 million contribution generated through a 2% short-term hotel occupancy tax, 5% short-term motor vehicle rental tax, $3 event parking tax, 10% ticket admission price tax, and a $5,000 per game facility tax charged to each professional team that plays at the venue. The financing plan also calls for new commercial property tax revenues generated within the Willow Bend Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone.
"If citizens were to rent motor vehicles, they will be charged with those tax increases," said Deputy City Manager Doug McDonald. "The proposed venue-related taxes would apply only to specific transactions and would not affect the existing property tax rate for Plano residents. The election does not determine the future of the arena.”
Renderings of the arena and nearby entertainment district in Willow Bend show massive development, including restaurants, shops, and public spaces as well as the arena itself.
While city officials focus on budgeting for the arena development project, Plano’s citizens have been voicing their opinion on logistics, namely traffic.
"If you have a Dallas Stars game, expending 20,000 to 22,000 people, that's 8 to 10,000 cars and there's not a lot of public transit in that area," said Michael Forner, a Plano resident.
The residents have also voiced concerns about light pollution, noise, parking and the impact on the cost of living to nearby neighborhoods. These residents will have the final say on the project funding when it appears on the ballot in November, and all of these factors will be weighing heavily on their minds as they decide whether to approve the development’s funding.
