Soccer ballot

I've been trying to decide on how to vote on this $75 million soccer complex proposal.

That doesn’t make me special. Lot’s of people have been weighing in on it. Cara over at …JustCara gave a pretty good (though not-so-objective) point-by-point breakdown of her opinion on the matter. And Tony has published a well-produced video which backs the initiative for its ability to add to Johnson County’s cultural diversity.

I'm not vehemently against the proposal, as Cara seems to be. I'm actually okay with the County paying for parks and rec and other quality of life-type amenities. Anyone ever been to the Deanna Rose Children's Farmstead? Ever walked/jogged/biked along the Indian Creek Trail?

These are the kinds of amenities that keep property values high. These are the kind of amenities that contribute to healthy lifestyles. These are the kind of amenities that separate us from the barbarians who live in KCMO.

But let’s face it, $75 million is a lot of money for a soccer field – even in Johnson County. And, while we don’t suffer the fiscal ineptitude that KCMO and Jackson County, Mo., are plagued with, it’s always a tough sell to get people to volunteer even more of their hard-earned money.

What I would like to hear (it might be out there and I might find it with a little research), is whether there is some kind of revenue opportunity here. As Tony points out, there is definitely an opportunity for increased visitors and tourism.

Is there a plan to leverage this for additional income? Can the soccer complex be used to host tournaments to help retire the debt? Is it possible to have some kind of special sales tax on concessions, etc., to help pay for maintenance?

I think these questions have been overlooked in the campaign efforts of the measure's proponents. And they are definitely questions I'll have to have answered before I'll vote yes.

tagged: soccer, Kansas, Johnson County, taxes, ballot, vote