By Steve Clark
Brownsville Herald
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. says he’s cautiously optimistic that voters will approve Proposition A – regarding the Cameron County Venue Project – on May 7.
The proposition asks whether the county’s existing venue/visitor tax revenue can be used to help build a $100 million, 10,000-seat multipurpose arena that would serve as an anchor for the 1,300-acre Madeira master-planned, residential/commercial project now under construction in north Brownsville.
Voters defeated the proposition by a narrow margin in November, although a similar proposition – to allow venue/visitor tax revenue to be used for improvements to Isla Blanca Park and construction of the South Texas Ecotourism Center – was passed by voters in 2016.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. says he’s cautiously optimistic that voters will approve Proposition A – regarding the Cameron County Venue Project – on May 7.
The proposition asks whether the county’s existing venue/visitor tax revenue can be used to help build a $100 million, 10,000-seat multipurpose arena that would serve as an anchor for the 1,300-acre Madeira master-planned, residential/commercial project now under construction in north Brownsville.
Taxes on hotel/motel bookings and vehicle rentals in the county comprise the venue/visitor tax, also known as the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT).
There’s much more awareness of the venue project this time around thanks to an advocacy campaign promoting it, Trevino said, noting that he heard from many people after the November vote that they didn’t even know the proposition was on the ballot. At a reception following the Madeira groundbreaking on Feb. 23, the judge encouraged members of the business community in attendance to help promote the project in the run-up to May 7.
“Constitutional elections don’t normally get a lot of voter participation,” he said. “I think the business community and the developers realized they needed to do a little bit more, because the county cannot spend any money to market, advocate or inform. They realized that they needed to step up to the plate and inform the public. I think it’s been much more positive in that sense...I think there’s a lot more attention now and a lot more information out there.”
There’s much more awareness of the venue project this time around thanks to an advocacy campaign promoting it, Trevino said, noting that he heard from many people after the November vote that they didn’t even know the proposition was on the ballot. At a reception following the Madeira groundbreaking on Feb. 23, the judge encouraged members of the business community in attendance to help promote the project in the run-up to May 7.
“Constitutional elections don’t normally get a lot of voter participation,” he said. “I think the business community and the developers realized they needed to do a little bit more, because the county cannot spend any money to market, advocate or inform. They realized that they needed to step up to the plate and inform the public. I think it’s been much more positive in that sense...I think there’s a lot more attention now and a lot more information out there.”
A group calling itself Friends of the Cameron County Arena, formed by Madeira Development stakeholders, has been promoting the arena project through billboards and social media and encouraging voters to support Proposition A.
Cameron County Judge Trevino said he’s received “very positive” feedback on the project and that, despite what some people are saying, county taxpayers will never be on the hook for it. Those who believe otherwise “just have their information wrong,” he said.
“It’s an incorrect assumption,” Trevino said. “We’ve tried to make it as clear as we possibly can that the county’s involvement from a revenue standpoint is this venue tax, this visitor tax.”
Still, some refuse to believe it no matter what “because they don’t believe anything the government says,” he said.
“They think that there’s always an ulterior motive,” Trevino said. “All we can do is try our best to inform them. The venue tax is (meant) to fund a portion of the project, not all of it. It can’t, and we’ve made that clear since day one. The developer is donating the land and the infrastructure. We still have work to do, but this is the first step in the process, and a critical step, because without this we really can’t get going.”
If Proposition A fails on May 7, the county will not attempt to pursue the project using general fund or property tax revenues, he said, adding that the land and infrastructure piece is estimated to be worth $30 million to $35 million, Trevino said.
“That’s a big chunk of change that the developer’s going to front and help us in addition to our venue-tax dollars,” he said. “Get that seed money going so that we can get started as we continue to look for the remaining whatever deficit we’ve got.”
Having 40 percent to 60 percent of the funding in place is critical to leveraging the additional money — state and/or federal grants for instance — needed to make the project a reality, Trevino said, adding that members of the county’s business community who are backing the project understand its potential economic impact.
“We’ve got to be thinking about economic development and … projects that are going to help bring in the tourism, be an economic development driver, and be something that we’re going to be able to continue to use the venue tax for. This is a driver.
“The arena itself may not ever be a big money generator, but what it does, especially in conjunction with the Madeira planned development out there, it’s just going to be a huge magnet for economic development. It’ll help the development out at Madeira. It’ll help bring tourism to Cameron County.”
Early voting is underway and ends Tuesday, May 3. Election Day is May 7.
Cameron County Judge Trevino said he’s received “very positive” feedback on the project and that, despite what some people are saying, county taxpayers will never be on the hook for it. Those who believe otherwise “just have their information wrong,” he said.
“It’s an incorrect assumption,” Trevino said. “We’ve tried to make it as clear as we possibly can that the county’s involvement from a revenue standpoint is this venue tax, this visitor tax.”
Still, some refuse to believe it no matter what “because they don’t believe anything the government says,” he said.
“They think that there’s always an ulterior motive,” Trevino said. “All we can do is try our best to inform them. The venue tax is (meant) to fund a portion of the project, not all of it. It can’t, and we’ve made that clear since day one. The developer is donating the land and the infrastructure. We still have work to do, but this is the first step in the process, and a critical step, because without this we really can’t get going.”
If Proposition A fails on May 7, the county will not attempt to pursue the project using general fund or property tax revenues, he said, adding that the land and infrastructure piece is estimated to be worth $30 million to $35 million, Trevino said.
“That’s a big chunk of change that the developer’s going to front and help us in addition to our venue-tax dollars,” he said. “Get that seed money going so that we can get started as we continue to look for the remaining whatever deficit we’ve got.”
Having 40 percent to 60 percent of the funding in place is critical to leveraging the additional money — state and/or federal grants for instance — needed to make the project a reality, Trevino said, adding that members of the county’s business community who are backing the project understand its potential economic impact.
“We’ve got to be thinking about economic development and … projects that are going to help bring in the tourism, be an economic development driver, and be something that we’re going to be able to continue to use the venue tax for. This is a driver.
“The arena itself may not ever be a big money generator, but what it does, especially in conjunction with the Madeira planned development out there, it’s just going to be a huge magnet for economic development. It’ll help the development out at Madeira. It’ll help bring tourism to Cameron County.”
Early voting is underway and ends Tuesday, May 3. Election Day is May 7.
18 comments:
We need so many other projects in Brownsville. An arena for the wealthy is not even on my list.
More important than that is this -
In case of a nuclear war, South Texas would not be affected for nine days after Central and North Texas strikes. Nuclear fallout would not reach the valley for two weeks, a time when Mexico would be unaffected and serve as some refuge.
After 20 to 25 days, a Nuclear Winter would begin and that would be that for the Rio Grande Valley. Mexico would be zapped by Nuclear Winter, so that exit strategy goes out the window.
This is what Russian psycho Putin is threatening.
Now, go build that damned arena.
Convert the sports park arena into something useable for the citizens not for just a few, any you'll save a lot of tax payers monies.... and you can pocket what's left!!!
For the wealthy by the wealthy
Doesn't add up
Why would they need tax dollars
Eddie Trevino sure loves special elections that cost taxpayers money…. That cartoon of him with the money bags is spot on. He had a proposition vote when he was Mayor to pay himself 100k a year! The voters went out and told him ala Phil Vela to Trump to stick it up his ass. He went out on a proposition election in November on the arena that “is not going to cost anything” according to fast Eddie Trevino…. Says it will be a tax added on to visitors on their hotel and car rental receipts. We are suppose to attract visitors Essie, not scare them away with already high prices. No wonder the hoteliers are against the arena. Eddie has lost every proposition election he has put out… and it always costs the taxpayers… but not this one right Eddie?
Question: What is Eddie Trevino's share in the Madeira development?
yeah.
Mexico's Foreign minister accuses Republican Texas governor Greg Abbott of extortion
"The migration problem is not Mexico's problem," Minister of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard said.
- it isn't.
Wimpish Trump Warns of “Dangerous Fruit” in Sworn Deposition
“You can get killed with those things,” he said of fruit thrown at him by protestors.
(Tirenle in pinche mango a ese guey. Vato panson. Fuck you, Trump! Pedorro.)
My family voted yes…..
How did this proposition almost get a ballot by itself within a 6 month time span, when later this month we go back to the polls for the run-off's ? Special privileges for certain groups as usual. This group for the arena would never acknowledge regular salt of the earth folks, but now they want our votes by throwing in free enchiladas and voicing, "It's our turn".
Arena should have been built a long time ago before two were built in the adjacent county. Too late now.
We need an arena like we need another pothole in our streets! Somebody is dreaming big time.
They say our taxes will not go up but the values go up the same shit
Exactly how much is Trevino gtn from Madeira...... DAM THIEF
Everyone wants a better quality of life here in Brownsville for future generations but the uneducated closed minded votes have been holding Brownsville back for so long. Its a shame the majority of the population here doesn’t understand any of the fine print and feel they are going to pay out of pocket for an arena.
If you’re against the arena then just stay home and don’t go vote. Stay home and bitch about every little thing about Brownsville l. Stay home and rot like our beautiful city
@ May 2, 2022 at 1:52 PM
The RGV has at least 3-5 warheads directly targeted at. Brownsville, Port of Brownsville, McAllen, Harlingen, the Space X facility, are all targets. Maybe not in a first strike attack but definitely in a secondary or tertiary wave. If only we still had focused on development of Ronny Reagan's SDI Defense System we wouldn't have to worry . We would have had Battle Mechs, Laser Weapons, Spaceships...in Space! Hopefully just like the movies there will still be no Mexicans in space.
THAT'S THE NAME, POTHOLE ARENA, perfect a direct reflection ON ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS POTHOLE ARENA WOW.....
he said it " it may no be a money generator"
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