Labeled as Mesa Plays, Questions 4, 5 and 6, on the Nov. 6 ballot, give us in Mesa the rare opportunity to put a stake in the ground and authentically claim Mesa as being one of the best cities in the country for kids and sports, which fits nicely with an already established reputation as a family-friendly destination.
Mesa Plays is a community builder, a job generator, and a catalyst for future economic development projects that will inevitably come in and around the facility. With Mesa rapidly growing, we depend on sales tax revenues to provide essential public services. It makes logical sense to invest in products and infrastructure that bring more sales tax revenue.
Let’s explore Questions 4, 5 and 6, and address some of the most frequently asked questions.
What are Questions 4, 5, and 6?
Question 4 has something for everyone—whether you enjoy museums, dog parks, mountain bike and walking trails, a good library or a great park accessible for all abilities.
This ballot question also addresses the huge demand for more athletic fields throughout the city. The largest number of fields is slated to go on federal government land given to the city exclusively for recreational purposes. The land is free, the need is high, and the timing is right.
In addition to parks, trails, museums and libraries, Question 4 funds recreational fields for local team use. Question 5 authorizes the construction of athletic fields, and Question 6 increases the city’s hotel bed tax. So, tourist dollars can be used to pay for the construction of tournament fields. Question 6 pays for Question 5.
Where is the proposed Sports Complex facility to be located?
The Multi-Purpose Sports Complex is proposed for the presently vacant, city-owned land southeast of Red Mountain High School, between Brown Road on the north, Adobe Street on the south and west of 80th Street. The land can be used only for recreational purposes like the proposed sports complex.
How much will the multi-purpose sports complex cost to build and what will it cost me?
The cost will be $5.44 per year or $0.45 per month. The 24 multi-purpose fields are budgeted to cost $55 million. However, the nine artificial community fields, which are packaged in the $111 million Parks and Culture bond (Question 4 on the ballot), are estimated to cost $25 million. If the $25 million were pro-rated from the $111 million, the estimated cost to the average Mesa homeowner is $0.45 per month.
Question 5 simply authorizes the City of Mesa to build the other 15 natural grass tournament fields. These fields, along with the spectator seating, are estimated to cost $30 million. However, these fields will be built with city enterprise funds and Transient Lodging Tax (TLT) revenues. This means there will be no additional tax to you, the Mesa resident. Thus Question 5 is not a new or additional tax.
Visitors are paying for the facility. Question 6 on the ballot pays for Question 5. Question 6 raises the city’s hotel bed tax by 1 percent, from 5 percent to 6 percent, to help build the 15 natural grass tournament fields.
What are the annual economic benefits of the Sports Complex?
- More than 349,000 new visitors.
- A $350.3 million total economic output; $199.3 million in direct visitor expenditures (no multipliers or inducements).
- A total of 3,256 new, sustained jobs.
- More than 150,000 hotel room nights booked in Mesa.
Source: Economic and Fiscal Impact of the Proposed Mesa Youth and Amateur Sports Complex, Elliott D. Pollack and Company, March 2018
Will the anticipated revenues cover the costs of annual operations and maintenance?
Yes, and then some. The Elliott D. Pollack and Company report conservatively anticipates the facility generating positive net revenues for the City of Mesa (after paying operations and maintenance expenses) even when booking the facility at 50 percent of its capacity.
If this Youth and Amateur Sports Complex is expected to be so lucrative, why doesn’t the private sector build it and assume the costs?
The reason municipalities build sports complexes all over the country is because it is the cities that are the primary beneficiaries of the revenues. The real money is not made through onsite rental fees and concessions, but rather through visitor tax receipts from spending at hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, grocery and convenience stores and gas stations, etc. These visitors spend their dollars in our city, which helps sustain jobs and businesses in our community.
Municipally owned and managed facilities offer much greater access to local residents than do privately owned facilities, at which the primary mission is to lease the space at the highest rental rate in order to turn a profit.
If you believe building Sloan Park (Cubs) was important because it is good for tourism and good for sales tax revenue generation during the six weeks of performance, imagine how great Mesa Plays will be with its near 365-day operation.
For more information with Mesa Plays and to see videos, check out MesaPlays.com and remember to vote Yes on Questions 4, 5 and 6.