Omaha taxpayers already bent over from the heavy yoke of property taxation will face an additional property tax hike burden, if Mayor Fahey convinces the City Council to vote YES on funding and other mechanisms to begin construction of an unneeded new baseball stadium downtown. Though the Mayor and his Big Business supporters try to scare Omahans that the NCAA will move the College World Series to another locality, if we do not support the Mayor's initiative, the NCAA publicly has stated that it will readily accept a renovation of Rosenblatt Stadium, if the city government offers such alternative. Nevertheless, Mayor Fahey insists that the majority of Omahans genuinely opposing his plan are a mere noisy minority rabble. Read the bullet points below for information you need to lobby your councilman to vote NO on stadium funding:
· The Mayor carefully appointed a study committee of several community leaders, most of whom are his acquaintances, to take a “fresh and unbiased” view of the situation, but he included no taxpayer watchdogs!
· Consultants to the committee, including HDR, an architectural engineering firm, and HOK, a sports architecture firm, could win huge tax-funded contracts to help construct a new stadium.
· The Mayor refuses to allow a citizen vote, believing it “divisive” to the community. Actually, he fears a huge majority vote to retain Rosenblatt Stadium and distrusts the public. A June, 2007 WH poll found that 81% of respondents wanted the College World Series to remain at Rosenblatt.
· The Mayor pledged that he would not propose a new stadium without a signed 20-year contract from the NCAA to keep the CWS in Omaha, but such contract does not exist.
· The Fahey plan would raise our hotel/motel and car rental taxes highest among the 50 largest convention cities, which then will attract tourists and conventions that would have come to Omaha, depriving Omaha merchants of many consumer dollars spent.
· Anticipated stadium project revenues would pay for revenue bonds issued. If insufficient revenue appears, property taxpayers will have to pay the tab! Omahans would pay increased taxes to build and operate a new facility and additional taxes to demolish Rosenblatt Stadium.
· The Mayor declares that he would use property taxes only as a last resort to fund his stadium. We heard similar pledges from former Mayor Hal Daub, who promised no hike in property taxes to pay costs, but homeowners became yoked with a heavy property tax liability for his convention center/arena.
· To replace $2.4 million in Douglas County keno revenues snatched by our Mayor, the county would raise our property taxes. All Omaha property taxpayers reside in Douglas County and would pay higher taxes.
· A possible parking garage next to a downtown stadium and parking at other sites were not factored into the cost equation.
· The market analysis and resulting financial analysis done by Barrett Sports Group (BSG) was limited in scope, because the study did not conduct general public or corporate surveys or use focus groups. BSG admitted difficulty in identifying comparable markets because of the unique nature of the CWS.
· BSG made significant assumptions related to downtown ballpark operating revenues and expenses. Its study implies the possible need for additional funding sources, such as sales or property taxes.
· BSG admitted basing its work in part on information provided by unrelated sources that it could not assure us as accurate. Because of rapid changes in external factors, actual financial results might vary significantly from estimates presented in its report.
· Case studies prove that such new sports facility has a very small, sometimes a negative effect, on overall economic activity and employment. No recent similar facility earns a reasonable return on investment. No such facility has become self-financing regarding impact on net tax revenues. Stadium vicinity spending by consumers only displaces spending that would have happened elsewhere.
· The Mayor cannot guarantee that revenue gained from naming rights, advertising, seat taxes, and leases would pay off 20-yr. general revenue bonds used for stadium construction.
It is imperative that you call, email, or write a letter to your Omaha city councilman today, because special interests already are applying hard pressure to them!
OMAHA CITY COUNCIL EMAIL ADDRESSES
District 1: Jim Suttle 444-5527 jsuttle@ci.omaha.ne.us
District 2: Frank Brown 444-5524 fbrown@ci.omaha.ne.us
District 3: James Vokal 444-5525 jvokal@ci.omaha.ne.us
District 4: Garry Gernandt 444-5522 ggernandt@ci.omaha.ne.us
District 5: Dan Welch 444-5528 dwelch@ci.omaha.ne.us
District 6: Franklin Thompson 444-5523 fthompson@ci.omaha.ne.us
District 7: Chuck Sigerson 444-5526 csigerson@ci.omaha.ne.us
Address mail to: Councilman __________________________
Rm. LC-l
Omaha Civic Center
1819 Farnam Street
Omaha, NE. 68l83-0100
We must reach more citizens! Help us distribute fliers in your neighborhood. Email netaxpayers@cox.net to assist in this effort!
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