Venue tax election on hold until November
Updated: Apr 9, 2020
By SARA VANDEN BERGE
The Stephenville City Council voted Wednesday to postpone the May 2 special election until Nov. 3, when residents will weigh in on a proposed “venue tax” that would generate funds to improve the city’s sports facilities.
The measure would increase the city’s hotel tax by two percent.
“We have chosen a sports venue because that will allow us to improve our recreational facilities, like our baseball fields, that will draw in more tournaments and put people in hotels,” City Manager Allen Barnes told me last month. “This is an opportunity to improve the quality of life for our citizens without impacting our taxpayers. The increase would be absorbed by travelers staying at our hotels.”
Wednesday’s move was prompted by the ongoing coronavirus restrictions.