Quote:I'll take your word for it.  However, one thing that bothers me about the "pool of money" is that according to the article that I referenced above, the city is borrowing money.  While I understand the concept of borrowing money with the expectation that revenue will pay the loan and the interest, I suspect that part of this loan is not solely based on revenue from a bed tax and is probably partially guaranteed by revenue from other taxes.

 

Don't get me wrong, I don't oppose spending some of my tax dollars on stadium upgrades.  However, I think it's a bit mis-leading to state that this is coming from solely a bed tax coming from hotels.  Let's face it, Jacksonville is in no way a major tourist destination, nor do we host any major trade shows, conferences, etc.  Our hotels do not generate the revenue necessary to pay the loan.

 

Those of us that pay property taxes, those of us that pay sales taxes, etc.  we are all "chipping in" to the effort.

All maintenance money for the stadium, baseball grounds, and the arena comes out of the same pool generated by the bed tax.  When people complain that this money would be better spent on school or roads, it has to be pointed out that this money is raised for the specific purpose of maintaining the sports facilities, and can't be used for anything else.  You don't have to take my word for it.  The city passed the bed tax years ago specifically for this. 

 

Jacksonville doesn't have to be a major tourist destination to raise significant funds through the bed tax.  There's a reason so many hotels have popped up around town over the past decade or so.  Whether it's people here on corporate trips, or military members here for training, there are a thousand different reasons why these hotels are being built, and why they're doing enough business to avoid closure. 

 

None of your property taxes, sales taxes, or gas taxes are being chipped in for stadium maintenance and upgrades. 

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