Sarasota's plan to pay for Cincinnati Reds spring stadium

Baseball and tourist taxes

A fair way to pay for a stadium--Editorial by the Sarasota Herald Tribune, 8/22/06

"Whether or not you agree with a proposal to build a new spring-training stadium in Sarasota, there's one point on which there should be consensus: If a community's going to have such a facility, tourist-tax revenues are a pretty fair way to help pay for it. There's a natural nexus between the tax and the benefits it provides. The tourism industry gains business from the baseball fans attracted by spring training, and the fans are among those paying the tax. Many Florida counties (such as Lee, Charlotte and Manatee, whose tourist taxes are all higher than Sarasota's) use part of theirs to support stadiums. Sarasota County should strongly consider doing so too. Today, advocates of a new stadium for Sarasota will ask the County Commission to begin preliminary steps to raise the tourist tax and devote part of it to a new facility. A final decision wouldn't be made until a public hearing is held, probably in September. The proposed tax hike calls for the tourist tax to rise to 4 percent, from today's 3 percent. Advisers recommend that the revenue from the added tax be split evenly between the stadium and tourism marketing. Though no tax increase is ever popular, this proposal has gained the acceptance of the Sarasota Convention & Visitors Bureau. The tax is crucial to a new, $54 million stadium. The state, the city of Sarasota, the Cincinnati Reds (who train here) and private investors also would share in the costs. If advocates can clearly establish a case for a new stadium -- something they need to work on, as aspects of the plan aren't well understood -- a tourist tax hike is a reasonable step."

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