Ballpark Bond NOT Being Covered by Hotel-Motel Tax

Remember when the El Paso Times defended Joyce Wilson and the $22 million delay for the ballpark by saying “The bonds are being repaid by hotel-motel tax money, not property taxes. And the city has opportunities in the coming years to refinance the bonds at lower interest rates, possibly reducing the cost.”?  According to KFOX, the hotel-motel tax money ISN’T covering the costs after all: “In 2014 we were short and recovering the debt service cost by almost $1 million. $977,000 was the transfer from the general fund as the subsidy to finish up,” Sutter said.  Last year’s short fall was ONLY $256,000 and the model this year projects a shortfall of $800,000.

So, there you have it.  YOU are paying for the ballpark and Wilson STILL hasn’t answered questions about the delay.

2 thoughts on “Ballpark Bond NOT Being Covered by Hotel-Motel Tax

  1. And, I regularly take flack from lovers of the ball park for my ongoing opposition to it. Obviously, we, as a city, can easily afford this ongoing cost, just like we can afford increased cost on our water bill for a service that our tax dollars used to pay for (flood control was the City’s responsibility, remember? They have not sloughed it off on the PSB, without any decrease in property taxes, you know). We can also easily afford the new, higher rates for electricity, while those who tried to save money and energy by adding solar will be penalized?

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  2. Fortunately, I can’t remember the last time that l purchased that garbage known as the E.P. Times. I would be willing to bet that l’ve done more e-bitching about the ballpark than anyone else and l wear that as a badge of honor. I remember raising hell about why should hotels be punished by paying for something that virtually doesn’t benefit them. Over a year ago my Uncle said that this kind of bullcrap goes on in other towns – local shmucky politicians promising how a ballpark will financially benefit their town, then right after all of the ink is dry, they then say that this isn’t really going to pay for itself but it is a “quality of life” issue. “Quality Of Life” – spending a dollar to receive a quarters worth of entertainment.

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