hatwate wrote: ↑Thu Sep 20, 2018 1:59 pm
Thoughts on the special tax district for the Blackstone area to partially fund the renovation of the Blackstone Hotel? It has been compared to the use of that funding for the Capitol District but was that tax to support the whole district as opposed to just one building?
I like the idea of remodeling and refurbishing the hotel. I don't like the idea of paying a special tax because a developer made a bad deal. Compared to capitol....
Retail purchases/food/drink: Capitol: 0.5% | Blackstone: 1.95%
Office Space: Capitol: $0.25/sq ft | Blackstone: $0.25/sq ft
Apartments: Capitol: $95/annually | Blackstone: $120/annually
Hotel: Capitol: ? | Blackstone: 3%
I have a hard time believing that 15 years is a feasible timeline that the tax would stop - I believe they'd end up on the high side of their estimate (30 years). Is Blackstone going to be a great area in 30 years? 20? 15? Don't know, but the city will ebb and flow and I'm not sure this is a wise choice. Think about it - where were the hangouts in Omaha in 2003? [Oakview was clogged with traffic. Qwest Center Omaha was built. Kingdoms of the Night opened. Holland Center broke ground] 1988? [Crossroads was renovated, which added the food court. Jobbers Canyon was demolished. The Franklin Credit Union was abusing children. I learned to walk?]
Yes, a 1.95% tax isn't terrible on a $100 bill at Stirnella/Red Lion/Butterfish (since Channel 7 interviewed Matt Carpenter). But you're not looking at the whole picture: The tax is on top of the 2.5% restaurant tax and 7% sales tax. The total tax would be 11.76 percent. Taxes on top of a hotel room in this area would hit 21.53% (because the lodging and sales tax are post-occupation tax).
It would be one thing if Mayor Jean decided to do away with the restaurant tax, but she figured out how much money goes into it and basically kissed away that campaign promise.
On the other hand, Tom McLeay (Clarity) is reasonably wealthy. If he thought this was a good investment, then he can do it. If you need to raise taxes to make a private deal work, make a better deal or walk away. I think the big donors in town would pony up the cash to refurbish it if one sought out those people. Instead, we'll add another tax to our already excessive amount of taxes in the city - and tax the middle class to heck while a real estate developer pads his pockets.
I frequent bars and restaurants in this area and 2% would not likely stop me from going there, but it is quite annoying to be nickel-and-dimed in literally every part of our city now.
I hope more city councilors side with Aimee Melton on this and are opposed to endlessly taxing people (she was the only to oppose Capitol's tax).